Remue Ménage
by TheFanficAvenger
Summary: Vegeta's little secret that could eventually ruin his career spins out of control as he tries to cover his tracks. Meanwhile, Goten and Trunks have dirty secrets of their own that they hide  from each other, no less   yaoi/drug/alcohol/disturbing content
1. Filthy Little Secret

**Disclaimer: Neither author owns DBZ or Harry Potter.**

**A/N: OK Hikari and I are back with a new and improved version of this story! Everything down to the chapter titles have been changed! Woohoo! Anyway, we hope that you enjoy the more "mature" version!**

It was hot that day in June, and tempers rose with the temperature. Goku and Chi-Chi got into another fight; well, it was more Chi-Chi bitching and Goku not listening. This sort of daily routine had been going on for a while, now. Then again, what could one expect from a marriage that was rather forced, and one-sided?

They did have their good times, like back when their eldest son, Gohan, was small. Of course, now he was grown, and living a successful life abroad. Goten, their youngest, was hardly around as well being that he studied at a boarding school for magic far away from home.

The saiyan and his wife, in short, pretty much had nothing to distract them from how predictable their life together had become, except Goku's job with FedEx. His job, however, seemed to be the source of their arguments. Chi-Chi wanted a quiet, completely isolated life; while Goku preferred excitement and the unpredictable.

His little job was unsatisfactory, but it was still _something. _It got him out of the house, meeting new people, and getting some training done while working. Sometimes, though, it reminded him of his days as a child-when things were easy, and he didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. He'd enjoyed being able to take off whenever he wanted without getting reprimanded for it by his screeching wife. He was never one to sit still for long, something his wife knew already, but seemed to point out the "fault".

He let out a mental sigh at his thoughts. He wasn't even sure what his wife was complaining about anymore. First she'd wanted him to get a job to help pay for all the food he consumed, the dishes and furniture he broke, and just to save up money in general. Now here she was bitching about him not spending enough time with her, yet again because of said job.

So because of this inability to see eye-to-eye, Goku had taken to hanging around Vegeta more often than not. Vegeta filled the void in his life where excitement should be. He was a challenge instead of a mental exhaustion, but yet again it was another reason for Chi-chi to bitch and moan about not spending time with _her_. However, he couldn't explain to her that his time with Vegeta was far more exciting and relaxing than spending time with her-his own wife. If he did, he was sure he'd never hear the end of it!

No, instead he had to put on this ruse that he actually cared about what she was complaining about. He'd scratch the back of his neck in agitation, and put on his biggest and goofiest grin. His mouth opened to let out uncalled for laughter, to which his wife would just roll her eyes. He'd apologize for whatever he'd done or not done wrong and they'd go their opposite ways yet again.

-8-

Many miles away, Vegeta was having a similar problem. Where he lived-which was further north from Goku-on the outskirts of a vast forest in an ancient stone castle, the heat wasn't quite as bad; but considering that he was used to cooler weather than Goku, the heat was like a sauna to him.

He chose the immaculate castle for its greatness, and the solitude it provided far away from the craziness of the cities. However, because the castle was as old as it was, it normally came with occasional maintenance issues; this time, it was the central air unit.

The prince sat on his throne in the throne room, miserable, angry, and extremely sweaty. He had hollered for that useless wife of his to come and fix the problem, but she never came. He was the ruler of this castle, so all beings-whether it was wife or not-should be bowing at his feet!

This was one of the many things that annoyed him about her: she never paid attention to what he wanted. Actually, she didn't pay attention to him at all. Of course, it went both ways. They were both so different when it came to their priorities and interests, that they had nothing in common except for their only son: Trunks.

Other than Vegeta's outrageous demands, Trunks was the source of the arguments the estranged couple had. Vegeta hated how Bulma always petted the boy up and spoiled him; Bulma hated how Vegeta treated her precious son like he was scum.

Vegeta merely wanted his son to stop being an attention-seeking brat; was that too much to ask for?

Tired of waiting for his useless wife to get her ass to fixing the air unit, he stood up and left the marble-decorated throne room. He was bored, hot, and frustrated. Maybe a trip to Goku's house would be a mood-lightener, if the fool wasn't doing that ridiculous FedEx thing. Maybe Goku's house had working air-conditioning.

He was almost in the foyer when he saw her. Bulma stood at the opened entrance of the castle with that stupid grin of hers plastered across her face. She stepped aside to allow, to Vegeta's disgust, Yamcha inside. His fury intensified as he watched the gorgeous bandit wrap his arms around the shorter woman, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"_HEY_!" Vegeta barked, stomping into the foyer. The couple broke apart, and stared wildly at the enraged saiyan, "I thought I fucking told you to fix the damn air thing, and here I find you canoodling with _that _bastard!" He brandished his finger at the taller man, scowling angrily.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips, "I don't live to answer to your beck and call, Vegeta," She argued, "And since you live by the Do-What-the-Fuck-I-Want policy, so will I."

"Oh?" The saiyan stepped forward. "Well as long as you're staying under my goddamned roof, you'll listen to what the fuck I have to say."

"Bullshit, Vegeta," Bulma scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Remember who pays half the bills; I do."

"Yeah, like I honestly and truly depend on your petty pocket change from your precious company to keep my castle running. Get real, woman." Vegeta strode past the couple, taking extra care to tread on Yamcha's flip-flop-clad feet. "And if my air conditioning isn't fixed by the time I get the fuck back, then you're little buddy can help you pack your shit." He swaggered out of the door, leaving Bulma extremely pissed, and Yamcha a little lost.

"I CAN GET YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU OWN, VEGETA!" Bulma screamed from the door's opening.

Vegeta turned around and grinned, "Is that a challenge?" He took Bulma's silence as a sufficient answer, and took off to the sky.

Vegeta was a proud, proud prince, or rather _king_ since he had a son (however, he considered his son unworthy for a royal title, so he stuck to _prince)._ Not only was he a saiyan prince, but he was also a wizard like his parents before him. His son was also a wizard, but merely a half-wizard as well as a half-saiyan, thanks to Bulma.

He loved his magical side, as it made him feel even more excluded from the rest of society. When he was eleven-years-old and under Lord Freiza's command, he used to sneak to Earth to study magic while he was supposed to be on solo planet-purge missions. It was there at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that he learned to hone his magical abilities right under Freiza's nose.

Now, he was an accomplished Legilimens, meaning he could tell when anyone was lying to him if he had proper eye-contact. He was also pretty handy at Charms, being that he was constantly having to Silence Bulma from her screeching when she got into one of those moods where she was particularly bitchy.

Vegeta also supposed that Goku was a wizard, an uneducated wizard, but one nonetheless. The younger saiyan sometimes showed signs of magical abilities when he was feeling a particular emotional extreme. On one occasion, he was so stressed out over Chi-Chi nagging at him, he caused the woman to vanish, and turn up somewhere in the woods nearby. Needless to say, she was not happy at all when she found her way back.

After a while, he spotted the disgracefully small house that Goku lived in. He snorted at its homely appearance, and landed on the ground. Sure, he could have Apparated, but he enjoyed a good head-clearing fly once in a while. The heat was cooled by the breeze that was created by flying, of course it wasn't much help, but it still felt better than sitting in that damn over-heated castle.

A ways before him, he saw Goku practicing some martial arts moves. _In this heat? _He thought, _What an idiot._

"Hey, Vegeta!" Goku said a little breathlessly, waving jovially at the older man walking toward him, "Nice day, ain't it?"

"Its fucking hot as hell, Kakarrot, and you're an idiot for being out in it!" Vegeta responded none-too-friendly.

Goku frowned, "Well what're you doin' out here? Ain't it colder at your castle?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "It _would _be if a certain someone wasn't dicking around and fixed the damn air unit! I figured that you'd have working AC."

The younger saiyan suddenly stiffened. "But Chi-Chi's in there," he said a little quietly. "She doesn't know about-"

"_Will you shut up?" _Vegeta ground out through gritted teeth, glancing over at the kitchen window that faced the bamboo grove that they stood before. "No one will know as long as you don't talk about it." He continued, careful to keep his voice low, "For all that bitch knows I'm just here to merely see what you're up to. Nothing suspicious about that."

"For someone who don't care what people say, you sure are actin' pretty paranoid," Goku responded in an almost teasing manner. Secure in the knowledge that Vegeta would either let it slide or spar with him.

"Be quiet!" The prince hissed, "I'm not paranoid; I just don't want to deal with fucking drama, alright? Now let's go inside!" Vegeta tossed his head in the direction of the small house.

Goku nodded; indicating that he understood. His eyes finally took in the older saiyan's sweaty form; how the front of the dark gray sleeveless shirt was stained with perspiration. He turned toward the house, gesturing for Vegeta to follow him. The younger saiyan blissfully unaware of the man that was following him was also discreetly running dark eyes up and down the leader's backside.

Vegeta's arms crossed over his chest as he suddenly turned his head to stare off to the side as if he'd actually been caught sneaking a peek. He hmphed to himself, his frown deepening as they finally reached the door.

The cool air from the house was extremely refreshing as both saiyan's walked through the door and headed toward the kitchen. Chi-Chi wasn't in the room, but that didn't mean she wasn't nearby. Still, it was hard to pass up an opportunity like this. Vegeta stepped toward Goku, who was standing by the sink drinking water from a glass, and lightly touched the man's arm. He slid his fingers over the cooled-off skin, receiving the attention he wanted.

"Hm?" Goku asked, putting the glass under the tap to refill it, only to place the glass completely down on the counter beside the sink as he gave his full attention to the shorter man.

Vegeta said nothing as he curled his finger's around the younger man's wrist, and pulled so that they were face to face. Goku felt the heat rise to his face under the intensity of Vegeta's stare. There was no real emotion in the stare; only that fiery desire that he was so used to. That look only led to one thing...

The younger saiyan felt his body being jerked downward a little too roughly. "_Goku,_" The older man practically purred to him, causing a jolt of excitement to rush through him.

A hand stroked the side of Goku's face, and dry lips brushed against his own. A tongue darted out to sweep across his bottom lip. The younger man placed his arm on Vegeta's shoulder, and returned the gesture eagerly. Before long, both saiyans were locked in a vertical wrestling match. Hands roamed freely, grabbing and groping well-toned muscles; tongues pushed and swirled around each other's, as they ravaged each other's mouths.

It'd been like this for about two months. It had started off as them training together-just something "relaxing" and "fun" as a way to get away from their nagging wives, as well as keeping in top shape. Their usual sparring sessions turned more challenging as the days went on. Kicks and punches turned suspiciously more caressing than hurting. Then those touches turned into well placed grabs at the others heated flesh and sometimes ripping patches of clothing. Then one day, aggressions and physical frustrations got the best of them. A simple pin-down turned into a heated, rushed, sloppy make-out session. It was sudden; it was unexpected; somehow, though, it wasn't strange.

From there, it didn't take long at all for things to get more intense. Of course, Vegeta always seemed to be the aggressor, but Goku hadn't complained. In any case, it wasn't any surprise that the heavy make-out sessions that occurred, along with the rough sparring would have both men hard. However, it had come as a surprise when Goku had been the first to initiate a hand job. The younger Saiyan had muttered something about masturbation getting old and unsatisfying, but Vegeta hadn't cared for a reason. In fact, Vegeta seemed thrilled about receiving and giving into the favor.

One day, Vegeta had coaxed Goku into having drinks with him at a seedy bar, being that both men had had a falling-out with their wives. A few too many drinks later, Goku was giving Vegeta head in the bathroom. Goku had been far too plastered to think or even care about taking the next leap forward. Even had the alcohol not been there, the younger saiyan had been certain that things would've eventually progressed to oral.

They had never taken it past oral sex, but the desire between the two males was almost too much to bear. The sexual tension between the two saiyans was almost electrifying on its own, and both of them knew that their encounters would be progressing to the next level sooner than either expected.

Goku's large hand swept down to grab a hold of Vegeta's well toned ass. The shorter body's hips were pushed forward, their lower halves meeting and gently grinding against the others. Goku was still a hesitant about taking the next physical leap, but the things had progressed and the spark between the two Saiyan's was something that was hard to ignore. Especially now that the younger was enthusiastically grinding against the older.

Vegeta's hand landed on the larger man's hip, gripping the bone as if trying to desperately pull it closer. His other hand was still holding onto Goku's neck, as their lips, tongue, and teeth continued to enjoy each other. The shorter Saiyan's hips thrust forward, his erection meeting demandingly against the taller's thigh.

The two Saiyan's continued to battle for dominance and push against the other, forgetting that they were in the Son household and could be caught at moment. Or maybe that was the unknown thrill that was fueling their passion even further. The older man finally pulled away, taking deep heavy breaths as a smirk covered his lips.

"Do you want me to take you right here? Would you prefer the table or the counter?" the prince asked smugly as the hand on Goku's hip slipped further down. "Is that what you want?" The hand grabbed hold of the bulge jutting from other man's pants.

A deep blush stained the younger Saiyan's cheeks as he looked down at his partner. "Vegeta," the name came out with a confused tone. He wanted to be with Vegeta, but things between them had started so abruptly, without warning, only to continue to spiral further out of control when the drinking commenced.

"Hm," the satisfied hum left Vegeta's lips as he pushed the larger man against the kitchen counter. "It's a shame we can't be alone right now," the cryptic message came out before the prince pulled away quickly, filling a glass of water for himself as Goku still leaned back against the counter.

Chi-chi walked in a few seconds later, her eyes going a little wide to see Vegeta standing in her kitchen. Her eyes then fell to her blushing, breathless husband, who was leaning back awkwardly against the counter.

"Vegeta," She said, trying to keep the suspicion out of her voice, "I didn't know we were expecting you," Her eyes shifted back to her husband, who had righted himself, but couldn't get rid of the guilty expression on his face fast enough. "Is something the matter?"

"N-No, Chi-Chi," Goku stammered, "W-we were just-"

"_Leaving,_" Vegeta interjected, setting his glass upon the counter.

"Leaving?" The woman asked, a bit thrown off, "Goku, you never said anything about leaving."

Goku merely continued to look lost, still reeling over the fact that he and Vegeta were so close to having sex. He hoped that Vegeta would, at least, continue to take control of the conversation, as the man never mentioned anything about wanting to leave anywhere.

"Yeah," Vegeta continued, "Kakarrot and I are going out for drinks; not that its your business, or anything."

"It is my business, as he's _my _husband!" Chi-Chi argued, placing her hands on her hips, "But that's fine," She said simply, "You can go out," She then rounded on her husband, "Just remember that your son needs to be picked up from school for his summer break tomorrow morning! If you get too intoxicated, and are late getting him, I swear-"

"Don't worry, Chi-Chi," Goku practically groaned, "I won't be late getting Goten off of the train. I'll have Vegeta come with me-"

"-Yeah, like that's going to make me feel better-"

"-So that he can get Trunks."

Vegeta growled lowly. He was starting to get impatient, and was now annoyed that he had been volunteered to go pick up his useless son from the train station, when that was normally Bulma's job. The bitch-Chi-Chi's-ranting wasn't helping his mood, either.

"Let's hurry it up, Kakarrot," He grumbled, moving toward the door.

Almost as if Vegeta's words had some sort of magic spell on him, Goku obediently followed the older Saiyan. Chi-Chi was thus pushed to the very back of his attention-deficit mind, and was left standing there, frustrated beyond measure.

-0-

Trunks stood outside of the Charms classroom door with his girlfriend, Christina Ekis, with what should have been a smile on his face, but was actually more of a pained grimace. Off to the side, Goten looked uncomfortable around the couple, and took to staring around to ignore the awkwardness that he could feel radiating off of Trunks' body.

"I'll see you after I talk to the professor, then?" Christina asked in that annoyingly giggly voice of hers.

"Mm...sure," Trunks mumbled, looking away, "Whatever," He added, mostly under his breath. He and Goten both shared an aggravated look.

"Bye-byeee," The girl chimed, prodding her boyfriend in the arm.

"Huh? What?" Trunks looked down at the bouncy, sandy-blonde-haired girl, "Oh, yeah, bye,"

Christina looked up at her boyfriend expectantly, but her bright, smiling face quickly turned into a frown as both boys walked off.

"God, she's fucking annoying!" Trunks ground out as he and Goten strode across the lawns. It was the day of their Sixth Year before summer break starts, so there was plenty of free time to roam around and enjoy the beautiful weather. Unfortunately, Trunks wasn't feeling much like enjoying anything thanks to his unsatisfactory girlfriend. "I'm so glad that I'm ditching her ass."

"Her _fat_ ass," Goten corrected, "What? She's got a fat ass!" He laughed under his best friend's questioning stare.

Trunks rolled his eyes and took his cloak off, so that he could sit on it instead of on the grass. "Christina Ekis," He spat, "What the hell kinda last name is that? Eeekis," He drew the "e" out extra long, placing an emphasis on the stupidity of the name.

"Christina _Dick_-is," Goten giggled. sitting cross-legged next to the older teen, "I can't believe she's actually a Ravenclaw,"

"I know, right?" Trunks, who was a Gryffindor, agreed, "I know for a fact that she was messing with that ass-hat, John; and I heard he was gross."

"Yeah, I think I heard something, too," Goten, who was in Hufflepuff house, paused for a second, "You didn't _do_ anything with her, did you?"

"Oh, fuck no! I'm not stupid, Goten, gosh!" The older half-saiyan suddenly grinned, "Are you jealous?" He asked a little quietly, as slid his hand over Goten's, looking him in the eyes.

Goten's face went hot under Trunks' stare, "I-I'm not jealous, Trunks, cut it out," He pulled his hand from underneath the older teen's.

Trunks laughed breathily at his friend's shyness, "Well, what if I told you that I'm dumping Christina for someone else?"

"Damn, Trunks, you really do go through 'em, don't you?"

"I'm talking about you, Goten,"

"M-me?" The younger half-saiyan's face couldn't be redder, "I-I mean, you and-what?" His jaw hung open stupidly at the suddenness of Trunks' remark, "You've got to be joking!"

Trunks leaned in closer, the smile on his face widening, "I've liked you for a while," He put his hand on Goten's knee, "Remember that time we practiced making out on each other? You were such and incredible kisser," His lips brushed against his friend's ear, "Didn't you like the way it felt? Wouldn't you like to do it again? God, you were so hot that day, I've never been so turned on; I wanted to ask you out then."

Goten's heart raced, and he felt himself getting aroused by Trunks' low voice and wandering hands (one of which was slipping slowly up his leg). Still, he felt overwhelmed. Trunks was his best friend, and now he was being hit on by him, "B-but what about-"

"What, Goten?" The older teen played with a strand of shaggy black hair, practically leaning on Goten now, "Don't you like me? We've been best friends for so long, there's no way you wouldn't."

"B-but I do like you, Trunks," Goten muttered, "This is all just...happening so fast, y'know?" He started feeling extremely nervous for some reason, and couldn't look at his friend.

Realizing that his friend needed a bit of space, the older boy backed off and hugged his knees, which he rested his chin upon. He observed his blushing love interest for a minute before asking, "How 'bout you come home with me tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? But I have to go home-"

"_So_? You can go home any time!" Trunks straightened up, and stretched his legs out, then leaned back on his hands, "Come home with me, Goten; I really think we can make this work if we try."

Goten sighed, "I guess so, but you know I have to get permission first."

"Whatever," Trunks said, smiling and shaking his head, "You go on ahead and ask mommy like a good little boy," He then tossed his long hair over his shoulder and tilted his head to the side, still watching the boy next to him.

"I'm not a good little boy," Goten frowned, "She still doesn't know about them times we smoked pot and got drunk,"

"Putting on a front is so much worse," The older teen teased, prodding the younger one in the arm, "Although, it was pretty funny to watch you pretend to be sober while talking, even though you kept stuttering."

"Well, I'm sorry for not being all obnoxious and mean about stuff like you are," Goten rolled his eyes. He wasn't a fan of being loud and boisterous like Trunks was when it came to illicit activities.

"I'm not obnoxious," Trunks replied, leaning forward, "I just don't give a flying fuck," He pressed his lips to Goten's, then quickly pulled back. He looked up to see his girlfriend striding across the lawns in their direction. "I guess its time to deal with the bitch." He stood up and gathered his grass-covered cloak off of the ground, "I'll see you, I guess," He said to his friend, giving him a flirtatious smile and winking before walking off.

Goten watched his friend walk off and meet up with Christina. After a childhood of friendship shared, he never imagined that Trunks ever had feelings for him. The very thought of it caused his temperature to rise; he loosened the yellow and black striped tie around his neck and took off his cloak. He honestly liked Trunks, and thought he was extremely cute, but what held him back was the fear of destroying their friendship with a relationship.

In a sense, they were opposite in personalities; Trunks was bossy, demanding, out-going, and very full of himself. He could be very spoiled at times, resorting to dramatics to get his way, especially around his parents. Despite the fact that Trunks treated everyone else with a blatant disregard, he always seemed to have a soft spot for his best friend. Goten, who was mild-mannered, shy, and laid back, was so sure that he was the only one who has ever seen the softer side of Trunks

They have been through a lot together. They shared deep secrets, and have seen each other cry. Goten was also the only person, besides, perhaps, Vegeta, who knew of Trunks' self-mutilation problem.

He generally disapproved of it, believing that there were other methods of coping with severe stress, but he also didn't make too much of a fuss about it. He felt that it wasn't his business, and that he had no clue what was going on in Trunks' head.

They were also each other's first kiss, which is something that Goten personally cherished. It was the Christmas Break of their Fifth Year, and he and Trunks had stolen a bottle of Vegeta's favored Remy Martin. The taste was awful, but the effect was incredible.

Both intoxicated off of the expensive cognac, they started out just playing around and wrestling on the bed. Suddenly an innocent kiss was given by Goten, the drunker of the two.

Goten vividly remembered the mildly surprised look on his friends face, followed by the sudden question, "Have you ever really kissed anyone?"

Followed by his own giggly answer, "no," and Trunks' "Me neither," their wrestling match turned into a full-blown make-out session. It was hot, wet, and regrettably short-lived, but Goten has never been with someone since who could unleash the feelings (physical and emotional)

he inadvertently felt at that moment. Afterward, both boys tried to convince one another (or themselves, for that matter) that it was merely for fun; that they were just trying to practice kissing for later relationships.

His thoughts traveled to the conversation they had just had. Trunks said he had liked him for a while. Then why had he not seen any signs? Trunks was an openly-flirtatious person, and could be quite pushy at times. Still, Goten could not recall a time before, until now, that his friend had even batted an eye at him.

_Is it worth risking our friendship? _He thought to himself. _What if we just do a trial-run? _Just to see if its awkward or not. He hoped that if things didn't work out, they would be able to continue being friends without anything being awkward. He also wondered if he would be able to handle Trunks' extreme personality. He kept telling himself that Trunks was more subdued around him. He decided that waiting until they were back home was the best thing before making a decision.

-8-

A huge grin spread across Trunks' face as he mockingly waved his now ex-girlfriend farewell. He was so happy to be rid of the ditzy bitch, with whom he had only been dating a week, and now he could focus on his current interest: Goten.

He had been careful for the past few months around Goten; increasing the amount of compliments given to his friend; offering to pay for their meals and other purchases during their Hogsmeade visits; he's even gone as far as doing whole homework assignments for him. Still, Goten seemed oblivious to his under-handed advancements, mistaking them merely as actions of extreme kindness.

Today, however, he decided to stop being so subtle, and just come out and speak his feelings. He was so excited while talking to Goten, that he had forgotten to mention his other methods of pitching woo that had been left unnoticed.

But it didn't matter now. He was almost certain that he could get Goten to fall for him. They were so perfect for each other, they simply _had _to be together!

Confidently, Trunks strode back over to the spot where he and Goten were sitting before. Goten was still there, and seemed to be gazing off at the mountains in the distance.

"Thinking of me?" He asked cockily, throwing his cloak down once more to sit on it.

Goten jumped at the abrupt distraction. He hadn't expected Trunks back so soon, being that Christina was extremely clingy. He thought that the break-up would take much longer than just a quarter of an hour.

He looked over at his best friend, who sat close by him, practically gazing at him as if he were god-sent. "Actually..." He began slowly, trying to choose his words carefully, "I was."

"Oh?" Trunks said, extremely interested, "Good thoughts, I hope."

"Well...I was thinking that...when I come home with you tomorrow, we could talk about this whole relationship thing further. I can give you my decision then." He stared into Trunks' bright blue eyes hopefully, only to be met with a scowl.

"You don't want me _now_?" He asked, making it sound more like a demand. He didn't bother to hide the hurt in his voice, and Goten feared a tantrum creeping closer.

"I-I just want to m-make sure that our friendship won't be, y'know, _ruined._"

"_Ruined?_" Trunks repeated in a horrified whisper; Goten shrunk back at the look he was given, fearing that he had made a grave mistake in what he had just said. Still, the older saiyan continued, "After all the shit I did for you? The stuff I bought? The homework I slaved through? I did all that shit to _please _you, Goten! To _prove _my worth as your lover!" He gripped Goten by the forearms and stared desperately into his eyes, "Was it not good enough? Do you need more? I'll suck your dick right here and now, if that's what it takes," He then began fumbling with the button of Goten's black slacks.

"Ah-_Trunks,_ you don't have to-" Goten gasped, as he grabbed Trunks' quick-moving hands, which had managed to have the pants unbuttoned and unzipped, "I'll do it," He said a little breathlessly, nervous from the prospect of getting a blow-job in plain sight of the castle's residents. He looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching, "I'll go out with you, alright?"

Trunks' expression brightened once more. "Really?" He asked, wrapping his arms around Goten's neck, and pulled him into an embrace. "I promise you won't regret this," He murmured, pressing his lips to his new boyfriend's neck, "You are my heart, Goten," He pulled back to look into dark brown eyes. He held Goten's face in his hands, "I _love_ you." He said, following his loving words with a gentile kiss.

-0-

Upon showing a VIP's pass after a few hours of flight, Vegeta and Goku entered the club, which was called "Players". The club was exclusive to people of certain caliber; in a nutshell: old money and new money. Looks did not matter, as long as one had deep pockets and a fat wallet.

The bass thudded heavily, and the dark, stuffy place mingled with the scents of smoke, perfume, and sweat. Goku found his senses overwhelmed by the flashing lights; the closeness of the grinding bodies around him; and the entrancing music. Vegeta, who was unfazed by his surroundings, had never taken him to a place like this; It was always a bar of some sort.

He was thankful for the prince's hand on his wrist, because he was certain that he would get lost, or simply pass out from the sensory overload.

Vegeta led Goku through the moving crowd. He hadn't been to this particular club in a while, and figured it would be a nice change from the usual bars he was accustomed to. His eyes were set toward a more private sector, devoted to only the most honored of club members.

It was here, in this guarded section, that members could sit at private tables, and drink at a bar that served drinks of the highest quality. There were also stages set up so that exotic dancers could perform for the exclusive guests. Members can request whichever dancer they want to personally enact for them, or merely act as a companion.

"What kind of place is this?" Goku asked after Vegeta had shown his pass to a second guard, who kept people out of the exclusive section, and found them a particularly secluded place to sit. His wide, innocent eyes fell upon a woman dancer, who was almost completely out of her clothes, and blushed intently as he looked away.

Vegeta had to laugh at Goku's reaction to the place. It wasn't unexpected, but that didn't make it any less funny. "Its a _club_, Kakarrot,"

"Do people here normally take their clothes off? Should I, so that way I fit in?"

"Sure, go ahead, but make sure you're on stage while you're doing it. Oh, and don't forget to do a dance, too."

Goku started to look a bit nervous, "But, Vegeta, you know that I can't dance. I can't tell you how many times I stepped on Chi-Chi's toes when she was tryina teach me."

Vegeta's face fell, "You honestly can't be taking me seriously," He said flatly, "Just make yourself useful and get us some drinks, please," He pointed at the neon-lit bar, which was to the far right. There was a small crowd already there.

"What do you want?" The younger saiyan asked, making sure he had some sort of identification on him.

"Oh, I don't know," The older saiyan said distractedly, as his eyes were watching the newest dancer that had just strutted onto the stage closest to their table, "something with tequila in it."

Goku left the table while Vegeta continued to watch the person on the stage dance to a sensual beat. It was a man this time; a very _pretty_ man with shoulder-length black hair, fair complexion, and a slight build. He carried himself confidently, almost conceitedly, which added Vegeta's interest in him.

Looking over at the bar, the prince saw that Goku was still busy with obtaining drinks. He then focused his attention back to the dancer, who had removed his shirt by now; he had a very good idea of how to capture this man's attention. He already had an audience of people, mainly women, waving money and cat-calling drunkenly.

_Some people have no class,_ Vegeta thought amusedly, striding over to the stage. He'd just have to show these idiots just how to catch the attention of a man who obviously had high standards.

-8-

Seventeen smiled inwardly upon realizing that he had captured the attention of such a good-looking man. He had the arrogance and attitude of a man who knew exactly what the hell he wanted, and obtained what he wanted _effortlessly._ This intrigued the dancer greatly, especially being that this man was, thankfully, a great change from the philandering women and perverted older men he attracted.

Eager to keep this sexy stranger's attention, he decided to _really _show off for him. He locked his pale blue eyes onto Vegeta's black ones, and slowly dropped low, running his hands down his bare chest and along his black, skin-tight pants (which were dramatically flared at the bottom).

He then got on his hands and knees and crawled seductively toward his target. Ignoring the raucous behavior of his audience, he smiled at the spiky-haired man and gently stroked a forefinger under his chin.

An amused smirk broke across the stranger's face. He felt a hand gently grab a piece of his black hair, as the man opened his mouth to speak.

"When you're through _playing_," He said in a low whisper, releasing the hair he held, "Come over to my table."

"Absolutely," Seventeen replied. He slid back and started back on his routine.

The sexy stranger smirked once more and lazily tossed some cash onto the stage. Seventeen returned the smile and watched the man swagger off. He didn't get to work out his best moves, and he was already getting invited to that _gorgeous_ man's table.

He finished his performance, and collected his discarded shirt and cash that was thrown onto the stage. He walked backstage to the dressing rooms and pulled his shirt back on. Sitting in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection.

"Do you want some?" Asked one of the other male strippers that occupied the mirror next to his.

"What? Oh, sure." Seventeen's eyes followed where his co-worker was pointing, which was the surface of the table the mirror stood upon. On the table were three two-inch-long lines of white powder.

He tucked his hair behind his ear and bent low over the lines. He pushed in one of his nostrils and inhaled one of the lines through the other. It was harder to do, being that he didn't have a halved straw to channel the powder through, but he still managed to inhale it in one go.

This was his life. Summed up, it was one big crazy party. Despite his depressingly sheltered childhood, he chose to live life extravagantly. Drugs of all kinds were easily available to him; though he was particularly fond of marijuana. It was easiest to obtain in large quantities, and he could still function perfectly while being high at the same time.

Frequent casual sex with strangers was another vice of his. Of course, his partners were always men, being that he had an general distaste for women, thanks to his past. He had no regards to his partners; age and marital status weren't an issue, as long as the man he chose was _very _attractive. He's even, on occasion, accepted payment for his sexual performances.

Oh, yeah. He had quite the reputation of his promiscuity, love of drugs and wild parties, but he _embraced _it. Because of his exotic job, he had an open door to his thoroughly-enjoyed profligate lifestyle; he could escape into a fantasy world with a simple phone call.

He wiped the stray powder off of his nose and looked back at his reflection. He smiled at himself; if all else goes smoothly, he was about to get _real _lucky with a _very _attractive-and wealthy, judging from the two one-hundred dollar notes left on the stage-person. It was times like these that he was glad he was graced with such good looks.

Feeling extremely energetic, thanks mostly to the drug he just inhaled, as well as the prospect of bedding a hot stranger, He stood up.

"What's with that shit-eating grin on your face?" The man who offered him drugs asked, "I bet'cha someone's asked you to fuck, huh?"

"Maybe," Seventeen said distractedly, checking the rest of his body in the mirror, "He certainly tipped me well, that's for sure."

"Damn," the guy said, "I wish I could get as much pussy as you get dick...and I ain't talking about them ugly drunk bitches that be hangin' around, either."

Seventeen rolled his eyes, "Don't act so desperate," He said, scoffing. Ignoring his co-worker's obvious need to keep whining, he strode out of the dressing room. Sure it was a bitchy move, but so what? He was a bitch. Plus, he had a wealthy god-like man waiting on his company; no sense in keeping him waiting any longer.

He confidently, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, walked out into the VIP lounge. His immediately fell on the wealthy stranger, who sat alone at his secluded table, drink in hand. The man smiled darkly and raised his free hand lazily in salutation.

Seventeen returned the look, but then it suddenly turned to mild surprise as he saw a taller, softer-faced man, carrying drinks, sit down at the table across from the other. He should have known that the man who held his attention was taken; not that it stopped him before, of course, it just made things a little more complicated.

Still, his presence was requested, and he was to abide by the customer's wishes. He stood by the table and leaned against it on one arm. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," He smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll make up for it one way, or another," The shorter man replied with a smirk, gesturing Seventeen to join the table.

Seventeen did as he was told, and looked over at the taller man. He didn't have the regal baring that the other did, nor the sex-appeal, but he was still cute nonetheless. Not quite boy-next-door cute, but blissfully-ignorant cute.

_I'd still have fun with him._

"You know Vegeta?" The man asked, seeming to be genuinely surprised by the newcomer of the table.

Seventeen looked at who he just learned was Vegeta with a 'is this guy serious?' kind of look, then retained his composure. "Its not that we _know _each other," He said in a charming voice, "As much as we just share a-ah-_similar_ _interest._"

"So, you like to fight, too?"

Vegeta choked on his drink, "_Kakarrot_," He rasped, trying to keep laughing, "You can't possibly be _that _clueless,"

"I'm actually intrigued that you two are fighters," The long-haired man said with much interest, "Of course, it doesn't surprise me," His pale blue eyes roved over the part of Vegeta's body which was visible to him.

"What's your name, anyway?" The man-Kakarrot-said after downing his drink, "Mine's Goku, but Vegeta likes to call me Kakarrot, or a blundering idiot when he thinks I'm not listening," He leaned forward slightly and smiled roguishly, "But I really am listening." He then grabbed another glass of liquor and started drinking it.

"Very cute," The stripper laughed breathily, "I'm Seventeen, and-"

Goku's eyes widened, "But I didn't think that they allowed underage kids in places like this,"

"Kakarrot, why don't you get more drinks," Vegeta said, nodding his head and smiling falsely, "Besides, you downed most of them yourself, including mine."

"Should I just get anything, again?" Goku asked, forgetting entirely about his mini-shock concerning the stripper, "I _really _want one of those white Russians again," He added mostly to himself.

"Sure, sure, whatever," The prince replied dismissively.

Goku got up a little wobbly, then straightened himself, then proceeded to stagger slightly toward the bar.

"If you have any plans later," Vegeta began once him and the stripper were alone, "You should cancel them."

Seventeen smiled, "And what could possibly be so _pressing_," He propped his head in his hand and gazed at the saiyan, "That you would pull me from my plans-assuming I had any."

Vegeta slid his hand against Seventeen's leg, "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about," His hand gripped the thigh it touched and slid upward, "And I _seriously _doubt you have any plans."

Seventeen's smirk broadened. This man would definitely be difficult to bully. The prospect of a challenge excited him even more; he was going to have _a lot _of fun tonight. "So, are we going to your place, or mine?" He placed his smaller hand on the Saiyan's, urging it further up.

"Have you ever fucked in a castle?" He asked with a smirk, as he teasingly brushed his hand against.

"A castle? I've never even _seen _one, let alone _fucked _in one. I can't even compare my other sexual experiences with that."

"I guess that answers _that _, then."

"Your boyfriend, _Goku,_" Seventeen jerked his head toward the bar, where Goku was still ordering, "He's not going to be upset, right? I mean, I don't care, I'd just rather avoid any unnecessary complications."

"We aren't together," Vegeta said simply, "And even if we were, he'd have to deal with it, because that's just how I am. I _fuck _whoever I want, when I want, where I want."

"I like you more, already_._ Is your _friend_ going to join us, too, then?"

"Kakarrot is kind of new at this," Vegeta said, darting his eyes toward the bar. Goku was coming their way with a waiter behind him carrying the drinks. There were quite a few of them; each a different kind. "But considering his current state, he should warm up to it fine, if he doesn't get too plastered."

Seventeen gave a small chuckle, "I'm sure it will be quite fun, regardless." His eyes shifted over to the digital clock above the bar, "My shift ends in five minutes; we can leave afterward, if you wish." He stood up as Goku joined back at the table. Goku gave him a puzzled look, which he returned with a flirtatious smile, "See you in a few," He said.

-8-

"Damn," Seventeen began hours later when he landed on the rolling lawns of Vegeta's castle, "When you said you lived way out there, I thought you meant some sort of suburb, not the boonies." He stared up at the immaculate castle, and then around at the surrounding moonlit elaborate gardens and far-off dark forests at the lawn's edges. It was still hot and humid, but not nearly as hot as earlier.

Vegeta landed a moment later with a severely-drunk Goku using him as support. "I like the privacy," He said, helping Goku to the huge double-doors.

Seventeen followed behind, curious to see inside the castle, as well as eager to get laid. _The sex had better be spectacular after all that goddamned flying, _He thought moodily.

"The bitch finally fixed the AC," Vegeta said mostly to himself as they stepped into the high-ceilinged stone foyer. A large, dark chandelier with white and green lit candles hung from the ceiling, and a handsome elaborately-decorated carpet lay at their feet. Hanging on the walls on either side were two wide green and silver tapestries with an entwined serpent adorning its front. Underneath the serpent said the word "Slytherin".

Seventeen said nothing, and continued to follow the other two through the castle. He had reason to believe that Vegeta was part of some sort of cult or secret society, due to the fact that green and silver seemed to be the main source of color scheme, and the "Slytherin" serpent was a recurring symbol.

They entered an enormous hall that led to two different first-floor halls on either side of a wide set of stairs to the north. The northern stairs branched off to the east and west at the top. Green and silver tapestries, with snakes on them, decorated the stone walls, as well as _moving _paintings of important figureheads in cloaks.

The stripper had to wonder more and more about what kind of place he was taken to; never before had he seen moving pictures, and he was quite certain one of the portrait's characters called him something that sounded suspiciously like "Muggle". Every sound he made, it seemed, was magnified ten-fold by the enormity of the room they walked in. He wasn't used to such suffocating quiet, as he lived in an apartment in the city.

"Kakarrot," Vegeta said suddenly, stopping and looking at the extremely wasted younger saiyan, "If you're going to get sick, then hurry down the left hall and use that restroom; its closer."

"I...don' think..." Goku slurred, "I can go...by mahself," He hiccupped loudly, and leaned heavily on the older saiyan.

The prince rolled his eyes and groaned. His original plans were getting pushed back further. He didn't drink too much specifically for this reason; he _really _wanted to enjoy his guest. He pegged Seventeen as the kind of person to get bored easily, and taking care of a drunken idiot isn't much for entertainment for guests, in his opinion.

"I'll be back in a moment," He muttered, "Just stay here." He started to lead Goku down the hall, "Oh, and ignore the paintings." He added over his shoulder, as if he were mentioning something as miniscule as a creaky stair. He then disappeared behind the threshold of the left-hand hall beside the wide staircase.

"_Ignore the paintings _he says," Scoffed a mean-looking bearded man from a particularly large painting that hung between two tapestries on the right-hand wall, "Here he is bringing drunken Squibs and Muggles into the castle, and he expects us to stay quiet."

"Vegeta's father would _never _allow such disgrace," Came the pompous-voice that belonged to a painting of a pointed-nosed man wearing rich robes of deep purple. His painting was on the opposite wall, "Impossible to believe he belongs to a royal bloodline."

_The paintings can speak with each other! _Seventeen thought in amazement, though he was also disturbed greatly. He stared around at the pictures, and noticed that only three inhabitants-for lack of a better term-were awake. _And Vegeta's supposedly royal? _He continued in his head.

"_This _piece of trash," Said another painting; a younger man with amazingly good looks, "Looks no older than Vegeta's horrid little devil spawn of a son."

Seventeen tried to ignore the painting's snobby remarks. He had no clue what they were talking about, after all, but he wasn't going to stand to be called 'trash'.

"_Excuse me_," He said, glaring at the handsome-faced painted man. He suddenly felt like an idiot for arguing with a painting, but it was obvious it had a mind of its own, "I am _not _trash!"

The angry old man in the large painting gasped, as if he were the one being called names, "The filthy little Muggle _dares _to speak to us!"

"Yeah, I'm talking to you," Seventeen continued to argue, "And what are you going to do about it? You're just a painting!"

"Just the state of his clothing is enough to deserve being snubbed," The pompous painting said, "I'd never walk around in _ripped _trousers,"

The stripper looked down. In his opinion, he looked _great_. He had changed out of his stripping clothes and into casual ones, but they weren't ugly. His pants were _made _ripped and faded the way they were, anyway!

"Simple-minded Muggles," The pompous painting chortled.

"What the hell is a fucking Muggle?" Seventeen yelled out, losing all sense of formality, being that he was sick and tired of being called a word he had never even heard of before. And as for simple-minded, he prided himself on being highly intelligent and clever.

"_You_ are," Vegeta said simply, striding back into the room, "I told you to just ignore them." He took in Seventeen's disgruntled appearance, "Anyway, we're going upstairs, and you don't have to worry about them up there." He gestured Seventeen to follow him, as he headed toward the staircase.

While Vegeta wasn't looking, Seventeen took the opportunity to stick his middle finger up at the paintings that teased him.

Vegeta led him up the stone steps. A marble banister at the top made for an excellent overlook of the massive hall, and the ceiling up here was much lower. Metal chandeliers lined the halls on either side, but Vegeta took him down the east-wing. There were no paintings down this hall, only more tapestries.

This time, each green and silver tapestry was alternated with a white and red tapestry. On the white tapestries was an odd, red, three-pronged symbol that looked similar to the Japanese Yen sign. He wanted to ask questions about these decorations, but he felt it best to just keep his mind on one thing (sex), since he was only going to be there for a few hours to one night, depending on how things went.

Occasionally, he passed handsomely-decorated wooden doors, which assumedly led to bed rooms. The hall was quite long, and seemed to turn at the end, so Seventeen hoped they made it to Vegeta's room soon. He was interested in the castle, but he didn't want to walk forever.

Vegeta led him down the corner (which turned left), to the very end of the hall, where a lone door stood. At the wall to the right of the door, was a magnificent protruding window that had a great view of one of the gardens below. Seventeen didn't have time to look more, because Vegeta opened the door, revealing a tightly-spiraling staircase that belonged to one of the few towers.

_More walking. _Seventeen thought as he silently followed the mysterious castle dweller up the stairs. He felt dizzy after the first few turns, but was thankful that the stairs weren't that high up.

A gold and silver ladder was there to greet them at the top of the stairs, and Vegeta ascended, disappearing through a human-sized hole at the top. They were finally at the bed room.

Seventeen expected to see more green and silver, but he was dead wrong. His eyes were greeted by a sea of ultramarine and saffron.

The circular-shaped bed room was as large as his whole apartment. Ceiling-high windows lined the walls, and were adorned with saffron-colored curtains that trailed to the masterfully crafted diamond-patterned parquet floors. Three crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and white candles glowed from the holders.

Gold-framed chairs with ultramarine velvet padding decorated the room, and also surrounded a gold-framed table that stood catty-cornered over to the far right. A handsome, white-painted, wooden desk occupied the opposite side; on it stood fragile objects of silver and crystal. Behind it stood a door, which probably led to a restroom of sorts.

The best attraction was, of course, the massive four-poster bed that stood on a circular platform close to the center of the room. The frame was white and gold, and had intricate carvings on it. Saffron and ultramarine curtains hung lazily from the posts; thick, exuberantly-decorated blue covers were draped over the mattress, and were topped with matching pillows.

In a nut-shell, the room was worth the journey it took to get there.

Before Seventeen could get over his initial shock, and decide what surface he wanted to have sex on first, he was pulled by rough hands into a deep kiss. He eagerly returned the sudden gesture, opening his mouth as an invitation for Vegeta's tongue to enter.

Vegeta's hands on him tightened their hold, and he was pressed against his body.

"Damn," The older man said, "You're really packing, aren't you?"

Realizing what Vegeta meant, Seventeen laughed. "Its a gun," He said, lifting his shirt to reveal the handle of a hand-gun that was stuck down the front of his jeans, "You can't be too careful." He removed the shiny, chrome pistol and laid it on a tiny, spindly table nearby.

"A man who values his life," Vegeta said, pulling Seventeen back to him, "Admirable, but it won't save you against me; I'm dangerous."

Seventeen gave an amused hum, "Dangerous men turn me on," He smiled, and, feeling bold, he slid one of his hands down to the front of the other man's pants to rub up against his forming erection.

They made out fervently, only interrupted by removal of an article of clothing, until they had clumsily made it to the magnificent bed.

Seventeen grunted as he was shoved unceremoniously onto his back. He definitely wasn't used to being submissive in bed, since he preferred being the one calling the shots. As of now, though, he didn't care; he had never been bedded in such a magnificent place, that he himself felt like royalty. He'd be the bitch any time, if it meant he got to lay in such comfort each go.

"What do you think?" Vegeta asked a little breathlessly, pulling down his boxers, his only article of clothing left.

Seventeen's eyes trailed down the older man's obsessively-trained body until they stopped at the rock-hard cock-stand. "Impressive," He said, still staring.

Vegeta smirked, and looked down, "Well, _that too_, but I was mostly talking about this room." He grinned at his bed partner, enjoying the view of his body; fair-skinned and thin, with light muscle-tone, much like a runner's body.

"You're lucky," the stripper replied, raising his hips to allow Vegeta to slide his _fabulous _ripped jeans down over his ass and legs, "What are you? A drug lord?" He asked, mostly just joking.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Vegeta asked teasingly, dipping down to run the tip of his tongue along Seventeen's collarbone and neck. He spread the man's legs open with his knees, eager to enter him.

Seventeen wrapped his arms around the other man's neck and braced himself for the pain. He inhaled sharply as he felt wet fingers teasing him to readiness. The size of Vegeta's cock was a cause of concern, arousal, and intrigue, and he relaxed his body as much as he could, so as to lessen the initial pain.

He cried aloud, and Vegeta gave a low, yet, pleasured groan as he was entered hastily. Vegeta wasted no time getting to work, and he began rocking his hips back an forth, ignoring the feeling of sharp nails digging into his flesh.

Before he could get used to being penetrated in the traditional position, Seventeen was flipped unceremoniously onto his stomach, and his hips pulled upward roughly. He gasped upon re-entry, and continued to make such noises as Vegeta's hips rammed into his backside almost violently.

His own cock throbbed uncomfortably, and he was aware of his own hardness once more, being that he was now getting used to the pain. "Stroke me," He managed to say, hoping Vegeta would be kind enough to oblige.

And he was. Vegeta's own saliva-moistened hand gripped the unattended hard on, and began jacking it purposefully. The nails of the other hand dug mercilessly into soft flesh, trying to keep a hold on the body.

Vegeta leaned over Seventeen's body, hand still on the man's cock, and kissed the heated skin of his shoulder blade. He was lost in a fog of incredible pleasure, and barely realized when the younger man had released onto his hand and bed, because he himself was so close to his first one.

But was he done with his guest? Oh, hell, no. He was happy to not be known for being a one-hitter-quitter, like a lot of men. He had enough energy, and pain-tolerance, for all-nighters, and he planned on utilizing it, because he had nothing to worry about the next day.

Allowing a moan to escape his parted lips, he came hard inside of Seventeen. He could feel the younger man's body start to collapse, but he held it up in his sticky hands. "What makes you think I'm anywhere _near_ done with you?" He laughed almost cruelly.

Seventeen felt rough hands run over the dip in his back, and the cock that never left him re-harden. Something told him that he was in for a _very _long night.

-8-

Several hours later, Vegeta left a worn and beaten Seventeen snoozing in his bed. His bare feet padded against the floor as he collected his clothes and slipped them back on.

He hadn't meant to ditch Goku in the downstairs bathroom, but as the young stripper kept him quite occupied, the thought of his saiyan friend slipped his mind.

Vegeta felt Goku's ki; he was still in the bathroom. _Fucking idiot, _he thought bitterly, exiting the bed room. He hoped and hoped that Goku didn't leave a mess, despite the fact that he could clean it easily with a flick of his wizard's wand.

He Apparated to the bathroom and opened the door. No mess, thankfully, just Goku passed out in the freestanding bath tub. His footfalls echoed in the quiet, spacious marble room as he strode over to the bath tub. He peered in, and noticed that there wasn't any water in it, thankfully.

Though the tub was quite large, Goku's long legs still dangled out of it, because he was slumped down in it so far. He seemed fine, albeit a little uncomfortable, since he was breathing loudly and deeply. Still, the fool didn't need to be in such a position, and would probably be rather hurt that he was left that way when he woke up.

"Fuck, Kakarrot, get your retarded ass up," Vegeta grunted, pulling Goku by the arms to get him in a sitting position. Goku's head lolled backward, and he gave a small grunt; other than that, he was unresponsive.

He released one of the arms and gave Goku's face a hard slap, "Wake the fuck up," He commanded.

"Ow!" Goku whined, opening his eyes a miniscule amount, "Wha'dja do tha' for?"

"Your drunk ass passed out in the tub," Vegeta said, helping Goku completely to his feet.

Goku rubbed his hand over his face, "I don' 'member nothin'," He mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands.

Vegeta thought for a moment, "Perhaps that's best," He took the taller saiyan's arm and wrapped it around his shoulder. Goku was still quite drunk, and sleepy, so he had a hard time maneuvering without help.

He led the younger saiyan directly across the hall to a wide threshold that had a set of intricately carved, tall, wooden double-doors. He pushed one of the doors open, allowing the light from the hall to pour into the room.

It was one of the smaller sitting-rooms; decorated with furniture of a rich carnelian color. Exuberant paintings, the subjects snoozing in their frames, covered the higher parts of the walls, while book shelves covered the bottom part.

A handsome marble-lined fireplace took up most of the back wall. It looked unused, thanks to central heat and air being installed, but was still impressive nonetheless.

Vegeta laid Goku down on one of the longer couches that was positioned perpendicular to the fireplace. He said nothing, and turned to leave, but a hand around his wrist stopped him.

The prince sighed, "What is it, Kakarrot?" He asked, "I'm rather tired, myself, and would really like to go back upstairs,"

Goku gave a small, pitiful smile as he looked up at Vegeta's frowning face. He tugged on the wrist he held, pulling the smaller man to him.

Upon realizing what was going on, Vegeta tensed his body, causing Goku's actions to cease. "Wait until you aren't wasted, and don't smell like puke to try and entice me."

The younger saiyan didn't put up a fight and dropped his arm. "G'night, 'Geta," He mumbled.

Vegeta said nothing back, and walked with echoing footsteps out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

-0-

"He's going to be pissed," Bulma said to herself as she stepped into shiny, black high-heels. It was around seven in the morning, and the Capsule Corp CEO just got called in for a last-minute meeting with the plant managers of one of the newly-built factories. The meeting with the manager was in an adjoining country, so her flight wouldn't be that long. Still, she wouldn't be able to pick Trunks up from the Hogwarts train platform; Vegeta would have to.

She knew that Vegeta hated to be interrupted in the middle of sleep, but this was for the sake of her son. She'd ask Chi-Chi to do it, as she normally fetched Goten from the platform, but Chi-Chi wasn't the biggest fan of Trunks, due to his attitude.

And what an attitude he had. Bulma was quite certain that Trunks wouldn't take too kindly to his father picking him up. She didn't know what she feared more, Vegeta's reaction to being woken up early, or Trunks' reaction to having to deal with his father as soon as he got off the train.

She hated that Vegeta and Trunks hardly got along; they were both alike in many ways. Both were demanding and had fiery tempers. Both were also very manipulative, and proud to the point of being narcissists.

They argued often, only ending when one of them storms to their rooms and slams the door hard enough to cause pictures to fall off of the walls. Occasionally, their fights turned physical. Trunks was not a violent person, but when provoked, he could be as scary as Vegeta.

Bulma sighed and grabbed her purse off the cushioned hope chest at the foot of her bed. Her eyes traveled up to stare depressingly at the bed's sleeping occupant: Yamcha. She went to kiss him and let him know she was leaving, but decided against it, and left her room.

Things weren't always this way. There was once a time where she shared a bed, and had sex with her _husband,_ instead of her ex-boyfriend.

Unfortunately, her marriage had reached the end of its plateau and started its decline five years ago when her parents died, one shortly after the other. She then had to take on full responsibility of Capsule Corp., which tied up any free time she had to devote to her marriage and son.

She tried to balance out her time at work, and time with her family, but with the demands of more Capsule Corp. products rising, her time spent away from home rose with it. It was slow at first, but she found herself with less in common with her husband, and also less attracted to him. She was at the top of her game; her company was number two in the Fortune 500 ranking; she alone was also considered the richest woman in the world. She could have whatever, and whomever she wanted, but she stuck with Vegeta.

Vegeta was once determined and driven. Whatever he did, he did it passionately, which caused their sex to be spectacular. Bulma was never more attracted to anyone than him. Just the way he used to strut around, like he was god-sent, was enough to cause her very loins to ache with desire.

Now, in her opinion, he was just a mean bastard. He had lost his fire, and his interest in anything, even his respectable career, because no one ever presented him with a challenge, with Goku being the only exception.

He kept to himself and ignored his family; only sparing the time to spar with Goku, and go to work. Bulma started to resent him for it, which also caused her to drive herself further away. This went on for a while, but after an extremely heated argument, Bulma gathered up all of her things and moved to another wing of the castle entirely. The room wasn't nearly as large, nor had near as much grandeur as the tower bed room did, but it suited her needs and tastes.

With her desire for sex with Vegeta completely diminished, she started looking elsewhere for company. She had many partners before she decided to just stick with Yamcha. Yamcha fulfilled her needs for a strictly-physical relationship; he never begged her for money, since he had plenty from being the manager of his old baseball team; he also wasn't clinging to her, or begging her to divorce Vegeta like all the other men did (they were only after her wealth, after all).

She was grateful that he respected the fact that Vegeta and herself stayed married for the sake of public appearances; Vegeta was a high-standing governor for the Ministry of Magic, and she had Capsule Corp. This meant that the media was a constant threat, and any outside relationships had to be kept hushed up. If they were to divorce, their reputations would be tarnished, and neither one of them could afford that.

Trunks was also another cause of concern. Bulma knew that her son knew she and Vegeta had marital problems, but she was very careful to keep her affairs a secret when Trunks was home on summer and Christmas break, which meant that the boy knew nothing of Yamcha.

She felt so guilty for it, but she had a tendency to spoil him with material possessions and leniency in order to keep him happy. This is one of the reasons why she and Vegeta argue occasionally. She knew that Trunks likes to take advantage of her, but if it keept a smile on his face, she'd do whatever it took to keep it there.

Without bothering to indicate that she was in the vicinity, Bulma ascended the ladder leading to Vegeta's bed room. She didn't feel the need to, after all, since he was asleep.

But she was wrong. Her eyes widened slightly and she felt a twinge of annoyance upon entering the room, as she saw another person, assumedly a black-haired woman, leaning out of one of the massive windows. She couldn't see the person's face, but she could tell "she" was smoking, due to the tell-tale stream of smoke floating up and out with the breeze. Vegeta never let _her _openly smoke in the castle (not that she hasn't done some sneaking around before).

She was about to demand the little sex-kitten tell her where Vegeta was, when her quarry decided to grace her with his appearance. He obviously just showered, being that he was clad in only a towel loosely wrapped around his hips, and he had just stepped out of the adjoining bathroom. It was odd that he would be up this at this hour, unless he was tempted to rise early; and judging by his current company, he must have been _very _tempted.

She checked her watch; she was going to be late if she didn't act now. "Vegeta," She said in a would-be-friendly voice. She glanced over at the girl at the window, but the bitch seemed to not care about the intrusion, and kept smoking.

The prince, who stood at the closet, glared at her, "What?" He growled out, not at all happy to see his wife.

"I have a last-minute meeting to attend," She said, drawing herself up, to show that Vegeta would not intimidate her, "So you'll have to pick Trunks up from the train station. My meeting is in another country, and I will not return in time."

"Then you'll just have to cancel," Vegeta said, choosing a shirt from the closet, and holding it out to see if he liked it, "I'm not going any-damn-where; I have the week off."

Bulma sighed, "Vegeta, you know I can't cancel this meeting. As much as I hate doing these factory walks, I have to attend them..."

Vegeta let Bulma ramble on. He remembered that Goku's wife had asked Goku to fetch Goten. He also knew that the blundering idiot would be in no fit state to go by himself. Now, he could let the fool go home to his wife, get bitched out, then _he himself_ get bitched out by the harpy for allowing Goku to get so far-gone; OR, he could go with Goku, pick his son up, as well as Goten, and end his own wife's whining.

"Vegeta," Bulma said, sounding extremely impatient now, "Are you listening?"

"I'll do it," Vegeta answered, "If only to shut you up, I'll do it. Now get the fuck out of here, please, and get your little _friend _out of here, as well."

"Thanks," The woman answered, not at all meaning it. She straightened her skirt and descended the ladder.

"This example of bitchiness is why I dislike women," She heard an unfamiliar male's voice say as she was halfway down the latter. She closed her eyes and shook her head to rid herself of the mental images that had formed in her head. The person at the window was, in fact, a "he" not a "she". It was kind of a low-blow to find out her husband was having sex with other men. Had sex with her really got _that _old?

She fought the urge to go back up the ladder and show that man-whore a _real _bitch, being that she was starting to run late for her meeting. She just hoped that Vegeta would have enough sense to send him packing when it was time for Trunks to come home.


	2. Home Run

**A/N: We're back with the second chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the new and improved version!**

"My head's killing me," Goku whined, clapping a hand to his forehead, as he and Vegeta headed out of the castle.

"That's what happens when you drink as much as you did last night," Vegeta said, a little haughtily, "Now, let's hurry up and get the spawn," He took off into the air, followed by the still-groggy Goku. The sun shone brightly, and there was a pleasant breeze in the early-morning air. The saiyans could easily Apparate/IT to the King's Cross Station, but then they'd have to deal with the shock of passersby, who weren't used to watching people just appear out of thin air.

"Hey, Vegeta," The younger saiyan said, flying closer to the surly prince, "What happened to that other guy?"

"Oh, I let him stay at the castle," Vegeta replied offhandedly, "Don't worry, he's not going to do anything stupid. I already warned him not to go down to the dungeons, and not to touch anything, unless he wants to lose a finger." He gave a smirk, and turned his face forward once more.

He could tell that Seventeen wasn't going to pull a stunt, at least in _his _castle. His intentions were solely on finding something to ease his boredom until he had to go to work later on. Aside from the pot he insisted on smoking, the sexy stripper was tolerable. However, Vegeta could sense something was off about him; like his subconscious was repressing something traumatic.

"Was he any good?" Goku blurted out, which caught Vegeta off guard.

"What?"

"When you two slept together; was it good?"

Vegeta stopped and faced Goku, who had also stopped, "Of course it was good," Vegeta said, folding his arms across his chest, "I wasn't going to let him stay over if he were a pathetic lay. What's wrong, Kakarrot? Do you suddenly feel left out?" He let out a chuckle, and shook his head.

"No, I don't feel left out," Goku mumbled moodily. He still felt a bit hung over from the previous night, though he still had no memory past the club.

The prince hovered closer to the younger man, "Well, you know, we were more than willing to let you join in, but you kind of got _wasted_."

"Actually, Vegeta, I think that I would rather it just be me and you...y'know," His voice dropped, and a blush formed across his nose and cheeks, "When we..."

"_Fuck,_" The prince finished the sentence, allowing an amused smirk to grace his features, "Its not hard to say, _Goku_, don't act so shy," He drew closer to the younger man, and ran the tips of his finger's between his pectoral muscles.

"But I haven't fu-_slept with _anyone in such a long time-"

"Well, then you'll just have to get over your little insecurities," His hand slid lower over the younger man's abdomen, "Because, I don't _fuck_ nice, and I'm not gonna take it easy on you."

He slipped his fingers down the front of Goku's pants and pulled, so that their bodies were now touching, "You can handle it, can't you?"

The heat rushed to Goku's face, causing the rest of it to turn red, "O-o-of c-course, 'Geta, I-I can-Ah, u-up here?" He gasped, feeling the older man's hand slip further down his pants.

"Why not?" Vegeta replied insolently, staring up into Goku's eyes, as if daring him to get aggressive.

The younger saiyan felt his body slowly start to respond to the prince's advances. "W-wh-what about the k-kids? We'll be l-late,"

Vegeta removed his hand, and backed up, "Then we'll just have to deal with this matter when we get back, then, won't we?"

"But what if our sons find out? I mean, you've invited that other guy to stay, won't they get suspicious? I'm sure Trunks will, at least."

"My castle has more than enough room to house a small army. I'll just tell him that Seventeen needed a place to stay, and I welcomed him in."

Goku laughed at this comment, "Trunks ain't stupid, he knows that you're not _that _nice,"

"That's why I'll charge him. Its not that I need the money, so much as that it'll keep the brat's loud mouth shut."

"Why are you keeping him around in the first place?"

"Oh, Kakarrot, please tell me you aren't _jealous_? If I want a housemate that proves more worth than my own wife, then I'll have one." Having proven his point, and not bothering to hear Goku's reaction, he sped off. They were probably going to be late getting Trunks and Goten as it is, and Vegeta was not in the mood to hear more bitching from his son than he already expected.

Goku, on the other hand felt a twinge of annoyance. He thought that Vegeta was being rather reckless with inviting a stranger into his castle, around his priceless (and dangerous) personal possessions. However, Goku just kept silent, being that it wasn't his business. It still hurt a little that he wasn't invited to live there first.

-8-

The scenery changed from wild forests and mountains, to rolling hills and farms. From there, towns dotted the landscape, then cities. Soon, they were in London, nearby the train station.

"I always hate this part," Goku whined as he and Vegeta stood at the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Quit being a baby," Vegeta replied, rolling his eyes. He strode confidently toward the brick wall, and disappeared through the barrier.

Goku sucked in his breath, and held it. Walking through the barrier always made him nervous, but he walked toward it nonetheless. He shut his eyes as he passed through the brick wall, and onto the Hogwarts Express platform, 9 3/4.

The sounds of last-minute train-farers, their pets, and trolleys being wheeled across the ground filled the saiyan's ears. He opened his eyes, and looked around. Trunks, with a most unhappy expression, was standing by Vegeta, having what seemed like a heated argument with him.

"Dad, you're late," Came the sound of Goten's voice, pulling the older saiyan's eyes away from the argument, and to his son. The boy was walking toward him, dragging behind him a trolley, which held all of his Hogwarts possessions on it. "I thought Mom was coming, anyway."

"She had me come get you," Goku said, "How's your year at school?"

"It was alright," Goten replied, "It came with some unexpected surprises," He glanced over at Trunks, who had his hands folded across his chest, and face turned away from his fussing father's. "Anyway, I think I passed all of my final exams,"

"Your mom will be happy to hear that," Goku smiled, "Are you ready to go home?"

Again, Goten glanced over at Trunks, who was still fighting with his father, "I think...that Trunks wanted me to stay with him tonight," He hoped that his boyfriend would meet his glance, but Trunks was so occupied with Vegeta, that he didn't notice. He didn't know what was going on at this point, being that he and Trunks did more making out on the train than talking about future plans.

"Just be sure to clear it up with your mom first, since she ain't seen you in months," Goku said, also watching the other father-son pair, "Geez, ain't been out here for two minutes, and they're already fightin'."

"It doesn't surprise me," Goten sighed.

"SEE?" Trunks yelled, throwing his arms out dramatically, "This is why the fuck I hate it when you pick me up! You never let me do _nothing_!"

"_Anything_, Trunks," Vegeta corrected, "And if you wanted food, then you should have eaten on the damn train. I am _not _taking you out to a restaurant! You can have what the chefs prepare for you at home."

"But Mom always takes me out," The boy pouted, hanging his head in despair.

"Do I look like your goddamned mother? NO. Now let's get the fuck out of here." By now, the train had already left, and there were no more people at the platform, except for the two Saiyans and their sons.

"But Goten's hungry as well," Trunks sniffled, finally looking over at his boyfriend, "Aren't you, Goten?"

The younger half-saiyan scratched the back of his head, and turned his eyes away, "Nah, I'm good," He mumbled, not wanting to get on Vegeta's shit-list so early.

Trunks frowned; he _really _wanted to go out to eat, and Goten was ruining everything! "Well, what about you, Goku?" He generally didn't care much for Goku, but he was the last hope of going to a restaurant.

A blank expression fell over Goku's features, and he touched a finger to his chin. "Yeah, I think I'm hungry," He said a little slowly, and then looked over at Vegeta and grinned, "All that flyin' worked up an appetite."

A smug, superior smile spread across Trunks' features, and he stuck his nose up at his father, "There you go," He said pompously, "Goku's hungry, too."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically, "Fine, whatever," He ground out, and turned to walk toward the platform barrier.

"That was easy," Goten muttered when his boyfriend joined him at his side.

"Yeah, well you could have helped me out!" Trunks bitched.

"There is no way in hell that I'm getting on your father's bad side."

Both boys followed their fathers through the barrier, "My dad's not gonna do shit to you," Trunks continued, "Don't worry."

After many "I don't know's", and Trunks being whacked in the back of the head for threatening to set his owl out on his father, they ended up getting a table at a restaurant called McDuff's.

Goku's eyes widened a bit as he stared across the table at his son and Trunks. Trunks had his head propped in his hand, and was gazing at Goten with a look of pure adoration, while feeding his heavily-blushing boyfriend his own French fries. They seemed so absorbed with what they were doing, that they didn't notice Goku's stares, or Vegeta's scoffs.

"Did you know about this?" Goku asked Vegeta quietly, glancing back at the couple to make sure he wasn't being overheard.

"What does it matter?" Vegeta replied, stabbing his rare steak with his fork and cutting into it with his knife.

"It doesn't, but I don't know if Chi-Chi is going to approve of this," The younger saiyan's voice dropped lower, "You know how she feels about..." He nodded his head slightly toward Trunks.

"That's between you lot," The prince raised his tumbler of rum and Coke to his lips, and observed the sickeningly cute couple from over the rim, "I personally couldn't care less what the boy does, so long as he does his coursework and stays out of my way."

Goku made no comment, and continued working on his half-rack of ribs. He knew that Vegeta wasn't the most attentive when it came to his son, and he himself was rather lenient with both of his children, but Chi-Chi was a totally different story. She always had dreams of her youngest son settling down with a someone nice and respectful, like Gohan did. To her, Trunks was anything but nice and respectful. If she found out about _this_, she'd have a heart-attack.

"Oh, Trunks," Goten said, "You go on ahead and eat your food; I've got mine right here."

"But I like feeding you," Trunks pouted.

"Well they'll think we're up to somethin',"

The older teen rolled his eyes, "What do I care? They've seen us so far, and haven't said anything," He moved a little closer to his boyfriend, "I can't wait until we get back to my place," He wiped a bit of ketchup off of the corner of Goten's mouth with his finger, then licked it off, "I wanna be alone with you."

"You're not doing shit until you finish that food you pissed and moaned about," Vegeta said plainly, finishing his drink.

"Mind your own business, Dad," Trunks said, cutting his eyes at his father, and blushing at being called out.

"Trunks, please," Goten pleaded quietly, "Just listen to what he says."

"I'm not listening to a damn thing that douche-nugget says. I'm going to be of age in October, so I'm pretty much grown."

"Well," Vegeta started, "Since you're so grown up and all, you can pay for your own food that you haven't touched."

Trunks' face fell, "B-but dad! I don't have any Muggle money! Only Galleons and stuff!"

"Seems like a personal problem; I hope you like washing dishes," Vegeta smirked, and pushed himself from the table, "I'm going to the bar," He said to Goku, then walked off toward the counter where other people sat, buying drinks.

Goku smiled meekly at his son. He could feel the awkward tension building up, and did not want to be part of it. He also didn't feel much like drinking, being that he did enough of it the previous night. He then looked over at Trunks, "I'm sure he's only kidding," He then said to the boy, who stared moodily at his untouched burger. When the teen didn't respond, he followed Vegeta's actions and also went to the bar.

"He's such an asshole!" Trunks ground out, stabbing his sandwich with his fork in anger, "I wish Mom would have come and got us! At least _she _wouldn't have taken us to this stuck-up old people restaurant."

"Jus' be 'appy he took us shom'where," Goten responded thickly through a mouthful of food.

"Shut up, Goten," The older teen rolled his eyes, and stuck a fry in his mouth, "I don't see why the fuck you're standing up for that fucking dick-weed anyway."

"I'm not stickin' up for him, Trunks, don't start with me," The younger teen sighed, "I just don't wanna see you get in trouble, y'know?"

Trunks suddenly smiled, "You're so thoughtful, Goten," He leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend, "I love you," He looked into dark brown eyes, then glanced down at his lover's lips, "I really wanna go home now," He pressed his mouth to the one he was just staring at, and eagerly pushed through with his tongue.

Goten made a muffled sound of protest, startled by Trunks' actions and mood change, and placed his hands against his boyfriend's chest. Trunks mistook it for a loving gesture, and gripped the hands in his own. Beside the table, the waitress, who was coming to check on how things were, quickly turned on her heel at the sight of the two overly-hormonal teens making out.

Over at the bar, Vegeta downed his fourth shot, while Goku sipped slowly on his halfway watered-down gin and sprite.

"Now that the brats have each other to occupy themselves with, there will be no issues with us hooking up," Vegeta said, his tongue considerably loosened by the alcohol he was consuming. He still had his wits, though his composure was lessened a bit.

"I know," Goku responded, "I just kinda wish that we woulda did something earlier,"

"Well, if you weren't so damn shy, we could have."

"Sorry," The younger Saiyan responded sheepishly, "I just didn't think doing anything in the air was very..._romantic_," He said the last word in a whisper.

"_Romantic?"_ Vegeta sputtered, followed by harsh laughter, "What in the world possessed you into thinking I wanted to be _romantic?_"

"I dunno...I just..."

"Kakarrot, I'm _not _a roses and candle-lit dinner kind of person. That kind of tedious, mindless bullshit does nothing for me. But don't worry," He leaned toward Goku a little, "I'll make sure your first time will be _very _memorable." He smirked at Goku's blushing face, then quickly pulled back as he sensed his son coming their way.

"What were you doing?" Trunks demanded, "Why is Goku blushing like that?"

"I was telling a dirty joke, Trunks, what do you want?" Vegeta sighed, and then ordered another drink.

"You tell jokes?" The boy asked, tilting his head slightly, "Anywho...I wanna leave now, _please_," He added extra emphasis on the last word.

"After all that fuss you made of going out, and you're ready to leave now?" The prince downed the drink he was handed, and continued to observe his son, "Alright, then, but don't expect me to take you out again."

-8-

They finally got back to the castle later on in that afternoon. Goku and Vegeta went inside, while Goten and Trunks hung behind.

"C'mon, Goten," Trunks whined, tugging on his boyfriend's arm, "You asked your dad if it was okay to stay over, so that should be good enough,"

"Yeah, but he told me to make sure to check in with my mom, remember?" Goten replied, feeling slightly annoyed at Trunks' persistence.

Trunks frowned, "She'll get over it, Goten, _please_!" He gripped the front his boyfriend's white button-up shirt and tugged him forward, "Just stay with me; I want you to."

The younger half-saiyan rolled his eyes, "Trunks, you're going to be the death of me, and we haven't even been together barely a day," He grabbed one of Trunks' hands from off of his shirt, "C'mon, then, let's go."

Together they walked hand-in-hand into the castle. "I've forgotten how big this place is," Goten muttered to himself. He didn't have time to gawk, since Trunks insisted on dragging him through the foyer, hall (where both boys pointedly ignored the jeers and sneers given by the snotty paintings), and up the stairs.

Instead of turning to the east, like with Vegeta's bed room, Goten and Trunks went to the west. This hall was decorated identical to the east-wing's hall with the red and white tapestries, and Slytherin-marked tapestries.

The boys didn't walk nearly as far when they stopped at a wooden door that was exactly like the others in the hall, except for the massive amounts of stickers (advertising various bands, clothing brands, and witty slogans) covering its surface.

Trunks placed his hand on the doorknob, and he instantly frowned; something was wrong. He opened the door and turned on the lights. He looked around his enormous, darkly-decorated room suspiciously.

Goten didn't notice Trunks' strange behavior. He was instantly distracted, as always, by all the stuff in it. He couldn't help it, being that almost every inch of the black-painted walls were covered by metal and scream-o band posters (some moved, indicating Wizard bands; and others, Muggle bands, remained stationary). The red-curtained window directly across from the doorway displayed a spectacular view of the forest at the edge of the castle grounds, and snow-capped mountains beyond it.

Above the huge black-framed bed (with a red-cushioned headboard) proudly hung an obnoxiously large Gryffindor banner. Goten knew that Trunks only hung it there to annoy his father, because it was common knowledge at Hogwarts that Trunks was supposed to be placed in Slytherin, but chose the rival House instead.

He sat on the black and red covered bed, and then finally turned his attention to his boyfriend. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not," Trunks said, inspecting his neatly-organized computer desk, "Someone's been fucking around in here."

"It looks as if someone's been in here to clean," Goten observed, staring around again, "It was a wreck last time I seen it."

"I know!" The older teen fussed, "I was gonna do it when I got back-meaning today-but someone else felt the need to!"

"I really don't see the problem,"

Trunks glared at his boyfriend, "I _hate _people going through my shit! Do you want anyone going through your things when you're not around?"

"My mom already does that shit even when I'm at home, so its not-"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Trunks let out a low growl, "I'm going to have to deal with this. I had a lock placed on this door to allow only me through; the only other person I know who would be able to get through the charm is Dad."

"Well, just ask him," Goten suggested, "Just don't blow up in his face,"

"Alright, just stay in here 'til I get back."

Trunks stomped out of the room, with no intentions of staying calm. He only said he would to keep Goten happy, "DAAAAAAAAAD!" He called at the top of his lungs. He was so enraged, that he had forgotten all about seeking his father's ki out. "DAAAAAAD! I HAVE TO TALK TO YOUUUU!"

He made it all the way to where the east and west wings met at the top of the wide staircase when an unfamiliar person caught his attention. His initial mission was suddenly removed from his thoughts at the sight of a slight, extremely good-looking, black-haired man walking directly in his-Trunks'-direction. The stranger's vacant, pale-blue eyes met with his own, and they seemed to stare straight through him, as if he were a mere phantasm.

"I don't ever remember seeing you here," Trunks blurted out when the man was within earshot.

"Hello to you too," The stranger said, with a bit of a bite in his tone, "You must be Vegeta's son," He eyed the uniform-clad younger man before him without expression, eyes lingering for a moment on the oddly-colored long hair.

_Nice one, _Trunks thought bitterly, "I'm sorry, we don't get very many visitors here; my name's Trunks," For added measure, he held a black-nailed hand out to shake the other's.

The stranger took the hand in his and smiled stoically, "Its quite alright," He said in his charming voice. He brought the hand he held up to his mouth and pressed his lips against it, eyes never leaving the widening cerulean ones that stared back. "My _preferred _name is Seventeen."

"H-h-how n-nice," Was all Trunks could stammer out. He had never met anyone who was as blunt with flirting as he was, so it caught him off guard.

"When Vegeta mentioned you," Seventeen continued, enjoying the teen's reactions, "I never imagined you to be the shy type; your father surely isn't."

Trunks blinked, allowing the shock caused by this alluring man to subside, "What do you mean?" He asked, "How do you know my dad?"

Seventeen deliberately took his time answering Trunks. He instead took a rolled joint that he had tucked behind his ear, that was otherwise unnoticed until now, and lit it, using a lighter he had fished from out of his jeans pocket. "We met at my job, and found we like a lot of the same things," He answered , allowing smoke to come out of his mouth with his words. He blew the rest of the putrid carbon out, not caring if it got in Trunks' face. "If you wish to know more, I believe you should ask your father yourself." He smiled once more, and brought the joint to his lips.

The younger male couldn't believe this guy's blatant disregard for, well, _anything!_ His father would _kill _him if he was ever caught smoking in the castle, especially if it were marijuana. On top of that, the dude was being vague on purpose. He ought to be annoyed, but instead, he was impressed.

"Do you wanna hit it?" Seventeen asked, "You seem like you're tense about something." Without waiting for an answer, he held the joint out for Trunks to take.

Trunks took the joint, becoming more and more thrown-off buy this cool guy's attitude, "Thanks..." He muttered and brought the object to his mouth. It had been quite some time since he had partaken marijuana, and he was quite sure he'd make an ass of himself by choking. It was obvious that Seventeen was quite familiar with the illegal substance.

He took a drag, and instantly felt his throat burn. His eyes watered, and he felt as if he couldn't hold back. He felt as if he were dying, as he coughed, gripping his chest all the while.

"Oh, my," Seventeen giggled, "Is this your first time?"

"Been...a while..." Trunks choked out truthfully, holding the joint back out to its owner, "S-sorry..."

"You can have it," The black-haired man said, "I don't need it as much as you do." He gave another examining stare of the red-faced teen before saying, "I do hope we have another encounter soon; I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better," He bit his lower lip flirtatiously and raised his eyebrows quickly, then let them lower.

With a face red, not only from the smoke he ingested, but also from the embarrassment he felt from making a complete _ass _of himself in front of such a _cute _guy, Trunks watched said _guy _walk down the stairs. In his opinion, this guy just oozed _cool!_ Why did he have to act like such an idiot?

Now he was left standing alone with a lit marijuana cigarette smoking in his hand. If anyone caught him, he'd surely be in trouble. Still, it'd be a shame to waste such a generous offering from the sexy stranger. He brought the joint to his mouth for a second time and took a less-enthusiastic drag, so as to keep from choking as hard.

He French-inhaled the smoke, feeling so cool. He wondered where in the world that Seventeen fellow came from, and what kind of job he had that his-Trunks'-father would have visited and met him at. It was also obvious that the guy was here at the castle by himself; what could have happened to cause his father to trust a stranger like that so easily?

He'd just have to ask his dad himself. His body felt numb, and his head was reeling; he couldn't remember being _this _high last time he smoked. He completely forgotten the initial reason he was seeking his father out; so, with a new purpose, and a million questions in his head, he continued his journey to the east wing.

-8-

Meanwhile, Vegeta and Goku were holed up in the tower bed room. Seventeen had left to go to his apartment, then to work, so the two Saiyans were all alone.

Vegeta had a hold on Goku's wrists, pinning him down beneath him on the massive bed. He ravaged the other man's mouth; his intentions were solely on taking things to the next level.

Eager for more contact, Goku raised his hips up to grind against the older man's. He felt Vegeta's mouth leave his, and then press against his jaw line, "Are we gonna...?" He asked breathlessly.

The prince raised himself up onto his hands, still gripping the wrists he held. He peered down roguishly at the man beneath him, "The brats are busy occupying each other, why not take advantage of this moment? You're so hard already, and all we've been doing is making out." His ownhips ground deeper into the other's eager ones.

"You're one to talk," Goku responded with a smile.

Vegeta chuckled and released one of the younger saiyan's wrists. Using his free hand, he slid his hand up Goku's shirt. His fingertips danced across perfect, taut muscles, and he dipped his head down and planted a kiss on the larger man's sternum. He then began a trail downward using his mouth, tongue and teeth.

The younger saiyan gasped at the feeling of teeth pinching his flesh. He dug his hands in his aggressor's dark locks. Neither man was able to hear the sounds of a teenage boy walking up the stone steps.

"DA-AD!" Trunks called, climbing up the ladder. Vegeta and Goku (whose pants were now undone) quickly pulled apart.

"_What the fuck do you want?_" Vegeta practically screamed as his son's head was visible from the floor-entrance of the room.

"I've been hunting you _all over _the place," Trunks exaggerated; he righted himself and straightened his pants, which had bunched up from the climb. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of his father and Goku on the bed, both looking a bit disheveled. "What's...going on here?"

"Nothing that concerns your nosy ass, that's for sure," Vegeta replied, "What the fuck is up with you?" He took in the red flush across his son's face, his dilated pupils, generally vacant expression, and faint smoky smell coming off of him. "Have you been smoking dope, boy?"

"WHA-? _NO!_ " Trunks lied quickly, shutting his thoughts out, being that he knew his father was an accomplished Legilimens. Thankfully, though, he was awfully handy at Occlumency, so his father couldn't tell that he actually did smoke weed. "Besides," He continued, calm once more, "even if I did, how would you know? You don't know about pot! I bet you haven't even tried it!"

"I haven't." He answered in a bored tone, "Just because I refuse to rely on crutches for the weak, does not mean that I don't know the effects."

"Don't rely on crutches, eh? Well you seem to enjoy drinking, _a lot,_ and alcohol is a drug."

"Mind your own damn business,"

"Then you mind yours."

"Let's just agree to disagree," Vegeta growled lowly and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Now, for the sake of my sanity, _please _tell me what the why the hell you're here bothering _me_ and not bothering Kakarrot's brat?"

"Oh, yeah," Trunks chuckled stupidly, "Who was that cute guy with the long hair, and what is he doing here? He told me that you let him stay, or something like that."

"So what?" The prince shrugged, "He needed the company, since he lives alone."

The teen narrowed his eyes, "Since when have you cared?"

"Since when was it any of your business? Now, if you are done, please get the fuck outta my room."

"Oh! Hold up! I remember the _real _reason I had to come back here!" Trunks felt victorious, and he slowly inched toward the massive bed, "Someone's been fucking around with my stuff!"

Vegeta gave a small chuckle, "And how do you reason _that_?"

"'Cause my lock wasn't activated on my doorknob, and someone rearranged my shit. The only person who is able to unlock my door is _you, _dad!"

"Oh, so you're saying that _I _was messing around in your disgusting bed room?"

"How would you know it was disgusting unless you were in there, eh? Think about it." Trunk's face broke out into a smug grin, "And you know, I don't go messing with-"

"Your mother_,_" Vegeta ground out over his son's obnoxious voice.

"-any of your shit. In fact, I don't even come up here! Dad-"

"Was the one who wanted in there to clean!" the voice rose with each passing word.

"-Stay the fuck outta my room!"

Vegeta, completely enraged at this point, hopped off of the bed and advanced menacingly on his son.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Trunks insisted, and began climbing down the ladder, "Don't have to be such a..."

But whatever Vegeta was, no one found out, since Trunks was too far down the manhole to really be heard properly.

-8-

"I think our dad's are doing something together," Trunks said moodily as he flung his bed room door open. He was still upset that his father had to be a total buzz-killing douche-bag to him; he only wanted to know about the hot guy and why the hell someone was messing in his room, that's all.

"Are you on something?" The younger half-saiyan's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. "Dude, don't be bull-shitting me."

"I'm n-n-not!" Trunks lied quickly, looking away, scared that Goten would see his bloodshot eyes, "When I went to the tower, your dad and my dad were on the bed together, and I could-a sworn that your dad's pants were unbuttoned." He smiled and nodded his head, as if there was no way that he could be wrong.

"There is _nothing_ going on with our dads," The younger teen scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah-huh there is! Why would they wanna be alone together like that? It makes no sense unless there _was _something going on."

"Maybe they were talking?"

"My dad doesn't talk! Then again, my dad doesn't house complete strangers, either." He shook his head, "He invited this totally hot dude to live with us, or something."

Goten blinked, "Hot? Like, how hot? And is he a wizard?"

Trunks shrugged, "I wouldn't know; Dad didn't get in trouble with the ministry for the dude being around magical stuff." He then stared off blankly, and touched a finger to his chin, "But my dad practically _is _the ministry, so maybe he could get by with it."

"But what if this guy is a serial killer, or a rapist!" His voice lowered, as if he were about to say something taboo, "You could be _violated_ by that guy!"

The older teen gave a small laugh, "Well I'd much rather him be a _rapist,_ know what I mean?" He flashed a devilish grin at his boyfriend, "You should have seen him..._so _fucking _cute."_

"You're such a pig, Trunks!" Goten crossed his arms over his chest, "We ain't even been together a day, let alone changed out of our Hogwarts uniforms, and you're already lusting after someone else."

"Don't act so jealous," The older boy raised his eyebrows, "Anywho, it seems like our parents will be rather busy with each other, _talking_," He gave a roguish smile and leaned forward, "I think that we can have some _fun _without getting," He pressed his lips to his boyfriend's, "_Caught_."

The younger half-saiyan's heartbeat started quickening. This sudden change in topics, and mood put the teen off a bit, but he still understood fully what Trunks was talking about, "Y-y-you mean, you w-wanna have _s-sex_?"

"Of course _sex, _what else would I mean? " He kissed Goten once more, "Why are you nervous? Don't you wanna fuck me? If its about that new guy, I'll take back anything I said."

Goten shook his head, "N-no-er-Its not that dude," He took in a quick breath, "Its just that, isn't it a bit early? I-I mean I do want you, and all, don't get me wrong."

"But I've been in love with you for _so long_! I couldn't possibly think of not wanting to have sex with you!" A sudden smile spread across the older boy's face, "I know what I can do,"

"T-Trunks, I-Oh, god, what are you...?"

"If you don't wanna fuck," Trunks began, unbuttoning his boyfriend's jeans, "Then at least let me do _this_."

"T-t-that's not necessary," Goten started gasping at the feeling of Trunks' hands on his sensitive length.

"I've always wanted to do this to you," The older half-saiyan gripped his boyfriend's cock in his hand and flicked his tongue across the tip. "I can make you feel really good."

The younger teen's jaw dropped slightly at the sight of his cock disappearing between his boyfriend's lips. He couldn't imagine Trunks being so good at giving head; he let his body relax and fall back, enjoying the amazing feelings he was so graciously given.

-8-

"Don't be so rough!" Goku whined as Vegeta jerked his pants down a little too hastily.

"Well, what if I like it rough?" Vegeta argued, tossing the pants aside, "Don't be a pussy about it." He caressed the younger man's hard-on with the tips of his fingers, then gripped it in his hand, "I've already told you, I'm not going to fuck you gently; so deal with it, or I can _make _you. Either way, you're going to _like _it."

Goku blushed at his lover's crass choice of words. "Do you have to be so...so..."

"Dirty?" The older man asked, smirking. He bent down to allow his tongue to join his hand on Goku's length. He ran the wet appendage upward, then downward, "Sex isn't fun unless its dirty, _Goku_," Once again, he purred the earth-given name, and gave the cock one last lick before sitting up completely.

Ignoring his lover's small noise of protest, the prince slid his shirt off and tossed it lazily to the floor. Next came his jeans, which also joined the small pile of clothes.

Goku bit his lip at the sight of the older man, who smiled even wider upon noticing the exuberant look he was given. "Tease..." He muttered.

"Don't make it so easy, then," Vegeta responded, throwing the bunched-up blankets back to search for the bottle of lube he had brought out sometime before Trunks' interruption.

The younger man eyed the bottle warily. He was still unsure about having sex, though his body really wanted it. "You're ready now?" He asked, not really thinking about what he had just said.

Vegeta stared for a moment, as if trying to wonder just how idiotic the man sharing the bed with him could be, "Considering the fact that I've been sporting this hard-on since we've been in here," He began with the most sarcastic tone he could muster, "I'd say yes, I'm quite ready to have your ass. It would be even better if you stopped acting so shy about it!"

"Sorry, Vegeta," Goku said, sitting up. "The only experience I have is those times when Chi-Chi and I would sleep together. Thing is, is she just lays there and tells me to hurry up, or asks if I'm done yet."

"How sad," The prince said flatly, and uncaringly, "Now, would you please take your shirt off?"

"Jerk..." The younger man muttered under his breath once more as he raised the fabric over his head. He barely had a moment to throw the shirt aside when he was once more pinned down on the bed.

"_Stop _saying shit under your breath!" Vegeta growled, his face inches from the other's.

Goku frowned and heaved his body so that way the smaller man was underneath him this time. "Then stop acting like a _jerk_!" He watched Vegeta's mouth curl upward into a small smirk; and then to the prince's dark eyes which repeatedly, _purposely_, glanced down at his own mouth.

Vegeta's hands snaked up into the younger man's hair, pushing the head down, so that their lips could meet. "I want you," He murmured against Goku's mouth, "To put," He allowed his tongue to snake out and slip across the other man's lower lip, "Your mouth to _good_ use."

The younger saiyan raised his head slightly to look at the older one. "My...OH!" He gave a small giggle upon realizing what Vegeta was asking of him.

"That was easy," The prince noted. He watched as his lover dipped down and ran a long tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip. "Now whose the tease?"

"Payback," Goku corrected, then wrapped his mouth around the head and gently sucked, staring up insolently at the older man.

"You keep thinking that,"

Vegeta laid his hand on the back of Goku's head and pushed down. He felt the younger man's hands grip his thighs painfully at the sudden intrusion. "Don't try to get cute with me, Kakarrot," He continued to say, allowing his lover's head to rise up, only to be pushed down again.

Goku's hands eased their grips on Vegeta's hips as he became accustomed to his body's motions. He steadied himself with his hands into a more comfortable position, pressed his tongue against the length in his mouth, creating more friction.

A moan of approval escaped the prince's lips and he removed his hand from Goku's head as he leaned all of the way back. He knew that that idiot's big mouth was good for _something! _"Just like that," He whispered.

Eager for his own release, Goku quickens his pace. He figured he was doing fine, being that the man he was pleasuring started breathing heavier, and growling lowly. He slipped one of his hands down to cradle a pair of balls in his palm, while the fingers wrapped around the base of the shaft.

Vegeta's back arched as the sensual feelings built up inside him. "Swallow it," He said, and his jaw dropped slightly, then clenched shut; his body convulsed as he released in Goku's mouth.

Goku felt his lover's cock throb in his mouth, followed by warm fluid, which spilled a bit out of the corner of his mouth. He raised himself up, and wiped stray semen off of the corner of his mouth. "Your welcome," He said a bit cockily.

"I told you...about getting cute," The prince warned, breathing a bit heavily. He sat up straight and grabbed one of Goku's ankles. Just to be a jerk, he stroked the bottom of the younger man's foot with the forefinger of his free hand.

"What are you...? Stop that!" Goku tried to snatch his foot back, but Vegeta had a firm grip on his ankle. The older man grinned wickedly and continued his torturous ministrations, ignoring the younger's laugh-mixed pleas.

When he figured the insolent idiot needed a break from laughing, Vegeta's hand slid from the ankle and up a well-muscled leg. "Had enough?" He asked, smirk still playing on his features. He dipped down and kissed the inside of the leg. "'Cause I haven't," He ran his tongue along the warm flesh. While still working with his mouth, he took a free hand and squeezed the junction in Goku's leg, causing the rest of the body to jump, and its owner to yelp.

"What's wrong?" The older man teased, raising himself up to admire the hickey he left on his lover's leg, "Where's all that attitude you had earlier?" Without waiting for a response, he decided to continue his assault on his victim; he ran his tongue along the still-erect length, then lowered his mouth around it.

Before Goku could enjoy the feelings of his lover's mouth, Vegeta had raised himself up from between his legs. His heart started beating faster as he watched the older man throw back the covers to reveal a momentarily-forgotten bottle of lube that was taken from the bedside table sometime before Trunks' intrusion.

The prince smiled and poured a generous amount of the clear liquid onto his hand, then ran the hand over his length, coating it.

"Lay down," Vegeta ordered, tossing the bottle aside, then taking a firm hold of the younger man's legs. Goku gave a slightly worried look, but obeyed nonetheless. The prince raised himself up onto his knees and pulled on the legs he held until his hips and slick length pressed against his lover's ass, which was raised off of the bed. He felt the body tense, and heard Goku's sharp intake of breath as he slowly slipped himself inside.

Wincing from the intrusion, Goku wrapped his legs around Vegeta's waist to help keep his lower half from falling. He had never had sex in any position except for missionary, and the few occasions that Chi-Chi decided to be on top.

_"Relax," _Vegeta insisted and began rocking his hips rhythmically. He felt the younger man's body slowly slacken as he became accustomed to the pain.

The younger saiyan couldn't help but allow a small whimper escape his lips. Vegeta's movements became rougher and faster, but he was determined to show no pain. However, his tightly-shut eyes were a sure give-away.

The feelings of pain were soon replaced with pleasure, and soft moans were heard from both men. Goku finally braved opening his eyes slightly to watch his lover's still-oiled hand slide up and down his shaft. His flushed face turned redder; how could something that was no different than what he did to himself occasionally be so erotic? He reckoned that it was the fact that someone else, Vegeta, was jacking him off.

The hand that Vegeta used to grip the younger man's hip tightened its grip. His breathing became heavier, and a light sheen of sweat covered his body. He stared down at Goku's upward-angled body; perfect muscles flexed and twitched with the ever-building pleasure, large hands gripped desperately at the sheets beneath him, and dark brown eyes opened a bit more to meet his black ones.

Goku couldn't believe that Vegeta had him in such a submissive position. It was rather embarrassing to have his rival hear him moaning like a whore, to be _enjoying_ the other's body moving against his.

Vegeta's grip on him was becoming painful; he was rather glad that Chi-Chi never asked him for sex, because he was definitely going to leave with questionable marks on his body. Vegeta's movements were merciless and almost violent; the sounds of flesh slapping together mingled with the loud, unadulterated moans. Suddenly, he felt the prince's body tense, and his body ceased its movements. He felt the cock within him throb as his lover was first to climax.

Thankful that the hand on his own length kept moving, it was barely a few seconds afterward that Goku released. His stomach and Vegeta's hand were well-coated in his fluids.

Both men's bodies relaxed, and Goku collapsed on his back, while Vegeta fell next to him. Both saiyans breathed heavily and said nothing to each other, as each reveled in the aftermath of their incredible sexual experience.

Before the younger saiyan could voice his opinion, the low, whirring sound of a phone vibrating somewhere on the floor.

"I think that's my phone," Goku said. He leaned over off of the bed until he was touching the floor. He grabbed his discarded jeans and fished through the pocket, pulling out the vibrating cell phone.

"Ignore it," Vegeta ordered, folding his hands behind his head against the pillows.

"But its Chi-Chi," Goku protested, "What if something's wrong?"

"If it is," The prince said, "Then just consider it your lucky day; now, please, ignore it."

Goku did just that. Barely a moment later, the phone stared to vibrate again. The younger saiyan looked uncertainly at the older. He then just shut the phone off altogether.

Vegeta smiled, "Ready for another go?"

"I'm still getting over round one!" The younger man sighed.

"I'll get you over it real quick," The prince growled, rolling on top of his lover. He spread Goku's legs open with his knees; their mouths met, as did their tongues. Goku's cock throbbed and re-hardened at the feeling of the other rubbing up against it.

Suddenly, there was a loud vibration heard from the bedside table. "Fucking hell," Vegeta groaned. He reached over and grabbed the cell phone. "Your fucking wife better have something good to say," He threatened. He answered the phone, and instantly pulled it away from his ear.

Chi-Chi was yelling so loud that even Goku could hear what she was saying. "WHERE'S GOKU!" The woman screamed.

Vegeta said nothing and held the phone out to the man in question. Goku took the phone gingerly and answered.

"WHAT'S THE POINT OF GETTING YOU A PHONE IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO ANSWER IT?" Chi-Chi hollered.

"S-sorry, Chi-"

"YOU GO OUT AND DRINK ALL NIGHT-AND WHEN THE HELL DID YOU START DRINKING ANYWAY? REGARDLESS, WHERE'S GOTEN?"

"He wanted to chill out with Trunks, I thought he told you."

"NO HE DIDN'T! I HAVEN'T SEEN THE BOY SINCE HE GOT BACK! I WANT YOU TO COME HOME _NOW!_"

"A-alright,"

Goku lowered the phone from his ear, completely mortified. "I have to go," He said quietly, "Sorry, 'Geta."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "You're a grown fucking man, why the hell do you want some bitch controlling what you do!"

"Well, I have to get Goten home, and-"

"So, just tell the brat to go home!"

"But then they'll get all suspicious, Vegeta, just let me go, 'cause I'm gonna hear Chi-Chi's mouth whether I go now or later. Best to get it all done with." He slid off of the bed and began collecting his clothes.

"Fine," The prince huffed, "Go play _husband_ with your precious wife."

"Don't be like that, 'Geta, I'll be back." Goku whined. With his clothing bunched in his hands, he leaned over on the bed and tried to kiss the older saiyan. Vegeta, however, groaned and, turned his head away and waved his hand in Goku's face, swatting him away.

"See ya later, then," The younger saiyan said, clearing his throat. He finished dressing and left the bed room.

-8-

"You are seriously the most frustrating guy I know!" Trunks huffed, folding his arms across his chest, and sitting back against the couch. He and Goten had dressed in normal clothes and migrated to one of the larger sitting rooms, where both boys decided to play video games together. "You get me all turned on, and then deny me!"

"You just can't keep it in your pants," Goten responded distractedly, his eyes never leaving the enormous television, upon which he was shooting people. "I have better self-control."

"So, you don't get turned on by me?" The older teen looked dolefully at his boyfriend.

"Of course I do!" The younger boy paused his game and looked at the disheartened teen next to him.

"But you won't have sex with me," Trunks responded, making it sound more like a statement and not a question.

Goten sighed, "I just wanna wait, Trunks, I thought we already talked about it, "I made the last person I went out with wait three months."

"Well, I have a cut-off period!" The older half-saiyan snapped, glaring angrily.

"So, all I am's a piece of ass, eh?"

"What? No way, Goten, I just," Trunks slid his hand up his boyfriend's leg, "Can't help myself. You're so perfect, and anyone would be crazy not to _want_ you as badly as I do." He leaned close to the younger teen, and nuzzled against his shaggy black hair.

Goten blushed a bit at Trunks' words. The hand gently rubbing in between his legs didn't help the situation, either.

"Sorry to interrupt," Goku said suddenly, catching both boys off-guard. Trunks deftly pulled his hand away and moved to the furthest end of the couch, making it look as if they weren't ever even sitting close to each other.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked, quickly adjusting his pants so that his boner wasn't as evident.

"We hafta go home; your mother ain't very happy,"

"Nuh-uh, Goku!" Trunks interjected, grabbing on his boyfriend's hand, "You said that he could stay!"

"Trunks, just let me go," The younger boy sighed, pulling his hand away, "I don't wanna get in more trouble." He stood up and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, at least call me," The older insisted, standing up as well. He planted a quick kiss on his boyfriend's mouth; if Goku weren't around, they'd be making out instead.

"I will," Goten smiled and turned to walk with his father.


	3. FWB

**A/N: Please be aware: More CU plot butchering, and Harry Potter plot butchering! FTW!**

Goten hugged his Darth Vader pillow to him and drew a card. His face fell, as it wasn't the card he was hoping for.

"What's wrong?" Trunks sneered on the other side of the _Star Wars_-decorated bed, "Rotten luck with your hand?"

"I want a Mulligan," The younger teen pouted. He hated it when he started off bad while playing _Magic: The Gathering, _which was something he was proud to be extremely good at.

"Well, you wouldn't let me have one when I asked, so you don't get one."

Goten rolled his eyes and proceeded with his turn. It had been five days since Goten had to come home. His mother wouldn't allow him back out of the house until he spent some time at home, so he had to wait for Trunks to come over in order for them to see each other, and that was only _if _Chi-Chi was in a good enough mood to allow him over.

Today, thankfully, she was in a good mood, being that Goku had gotten called in for a job; also, Vegeta had kicked everyone out of the castle, as he had to end his little week vacation early because of a meeting with the Board of Governors for the Ministry of Magic. He kicked everyone out to prevent any mess-ups in front of his distinguished co-workers.

"Fuck," Goten swore as Trunks knocked his life-points down from twenty to eleven in one go.

"Sure!" Trunks responded, "I'm only kidding," He added at the dour look his boyfriend gave him. From the kitchen nearby, plates could be heard clanking around, and water could be heard running. The older saiyan glared at the door that was forced to stay open. "I don't see why the fuck your mom don't trust me," He muttered.

Goten shushed the surly half-saiyan, "Don't be using that language," He hissed, "And just be happy that Mom let us be back here alone, 'cause she didn't want to at first."

"I just wish she'd let you come over. I hate having to deal with Dad's bitching by myself, and mom hasn't come home yet, either."

"Well, you have your new best friend, that _stripper_, to keep you company," The younger saiyan grumbled, "I hit you for five," He added turning a card slightly to the right.

"Sevent-I mean, Melvin?" Trunks placed a card in the graveyard pile, "He's not my _best friend_, he's just a cool guy; you're not still mad about me and him," He glanced at the door then lowered his voice, "_Getting high_ the day before yesterday, are you?" He gave a slight smile and turned nearly all of his cards out on the playing field, "You're wiped out."

Goten gave a groan and removed all of his cards. "Nope," He sighed, adding the cards to his part of the deck, and laying it aside, "I'm totally over it!"

"Well, you should be," The older half-saiyan also collected his cards, "Even though, I will admit," He let out a dramatic sigh, "I let him lick my nuts _once._"

Goten frowned, "I knew it, you nasty little-"

"Oh my god, Goten, I'm totally kidding! There's nothing going on between me and him, don't worry. Melvin normally hangs out with Dad mostly, or is gone doing who-knows-what. You know, I am a bit hurt that you have such little faith in me."

"Well its kinda hard to have faith in you when you're living with this dude, and all I hear about him is how _sexy _and _awesome _he is!" The younger half-saiyan hugged his pillow tighter, and let his frown deepen.

"I never thought you'd be so jealous," Trunks crooned, stroking his boyfriend's nose with the tip of his finger, "Just know, he doesn't compare to you." He bent forward and gently kissed Goten on the mouth.

Suddenly Chi-Chi appeared at the doorway just as the two lovers broke apart, "I was going to tell you th-_what's going on here?_"

"N-nothin', Mom," Goten stammered, nervously running his hand through his hair.

The woman's suspicious gaze shifted to the lavender-haired boy, "What were you doing to him?"

"I wasn't doing anything," Trunks lied smoothly, and shrugged his shoulders, "Goten thought he had something in his eye and asked me to check it out."

"I see," Chi-Chi answered, not at all believing Trunks' tale, "Well, how 'bout you two move to the living room; you can play your card game out there."

"Fucking great," Trunks rolled his eyes and followed Goten, who followed his mother, out of the bed room.

-0-

It was one of those odd days that Goku had been called in to help at the FedEx. He gathered all his packages into a capsule container and deposited the capsule into its case so he could slide it into his pocket. He picked up his clipboard, which supplied him with all the addresses and names he'd need on his delivery journey, to determine where to start his route.

He looked down the list, flipping the page over to only find the familiar names of companies, suppliers, and customers he delivered to on a regular basis. Near the end of the list, however, he finally spotted a new name: Extase Rouge Modeling Agency. A happy smile turned his lips up at the prospect of meeting new, and hopefully interesting, people.

Goku's smile remained intact as he brushed past the other people on the sidewalk he was currently walking on. He nodded his head and gave small hello's to the people that acknowledged him or small children that looked up at him in awe. As he approached the street address to the agency, he glanced up at the tall building. It wasn't anything particularly new, since he'd been delivering packages in the city for nearly two years, but it was still amazing to see just how tall the buildings were.

Upon entering the building, he walked over to the directory to find which floor he would need. He was surprised by how little traffic there was here. Most office buildings he entered were always full of people rushing around and the elevators being jammed packed, but here he stood alone in the small moving room. Goku took the private time to think of a good greeting or a way to strike up a conversation if need be.

The elevator jerked to a stop and dinged as the doors opened, letting Goku step out into the hallway. He walked by unlabeled doors, his curious nature wondering what was behind them. Instead, he shook his head lightly. He needed to focus on the job at hand, finding the office door labeled: Extase Rouge Modeling Agency. Half-way down the hallway, he finally found a door with a black plaque labeled with the agency's name.

Goku entered, finding the room buzzing with activity. It was quite a change from the quiet elevator ride and the almost empty hallway he had just traveled down, but he closed the door behind him and stepped over to the desk. A bored looking woman was sitting behind the desk, as she too seemed to be blocking out the noise of all the people that sat in chairs along the opposite wall.

"If you're here for," she started in an automated voice, "you can just…" her words crashed to a halt as she finally turned her attention to the man.

"Uh, I just need to drop off a package. That alright?" Goku's goofy grin spread wide as he leaned down on the high-rise counter so he could reach into his pocket. The clipboard was already lying to the side as he retrieved the case and stood upright again. He popped the capsule open before placing the clipboard down on the lower counter.

The woman pulled the clipboard closer, finding the big "X" where the agency's name was and signing her own name. She turned in her swivel chair, stretching her neck out in the process as she called out, "Raditz, got a package!"

A tall, muscular man stepped out of the closest door. He was dressed in casual-looking clothing and had long, wild looking black hair. The length of his hair reached just past his knees, and as he tilted his head to the side, a brown tail was revealed even more. Of course the end of the tail was curled up so it wouldn't drag across the floor. The very tip of it twitched in agitation at having to retrieve a package, when the lazy bitch could've just brought it to him.

"Where's it at?" he barked, his attention solely focused on the cause of his anger instead of on the trunk-like object on the floor in front of the desk.

Goku, having been too focused on finding said package, hadn't heard the woman calling out. "Ah-ha! Found it." When he turned to hand the package over to the woman, though, he stopped short. "R-Raditz, hey," the delivery boy now spoke meekly and his facial expression had turned a little downcast.

"Long time no see, little brother," Raditz's tone was a little grim. The older man's lips were pressed tightly together as he took in the sight of his estranged brother.

"Uh, yeah, it has been," Goku laughed a bit nervously as he now handed the package over to the woman.

Of course the woman was too busy taking in each of the males' features and comparing it against the others.

"How've ya been?" the younger brother finally asked as he realized the woman wasn't taking the offered package. So, he stretched his arm out a bit further, handing it to his brother.

Raditz took the box. "Good." He gave a heavy shrug of his broad shoulders. "You?" he asked, not really interested in the answer, but he'd become accustomed to making pleasantries that it was mostly second nature by now.

"Oh, I've been good." Goku's friendly smile finally returned.

"Raditz!" Another male's head poked around the corner of the door that Raditz had come from. "We need you back in here."

The older man gave a roll of his eyes, but was semi-glad for the distraction and excuse to get away. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Kakarrot."

"Before you go," Goku cut in hurriedly, "maybe it'd be nice to try to hang out again?"

Raditz's free hand came up to stroke his chin in a thoughtful manner. "I don't know if that's…."

"Last time," the younger brother interjected again, "was a long time ago. I think we've both changed since then. 'Sides, we can meet up someplace else." He didn't know why he was being so pushy on the subject, but it been a long time since the last time he and Raditz had tried to hang out. Of course the 'not meeting again' had been a mutual agreement, but Goku still wanted to get to know his brother. If things turned out awkward again, though, at least Goku would have Vegeta to turn to, instead of trying to keep peace between two bickering adults.

"Somewhere else?" Raditz questioned, almost interestingly. Was that the reason for his brother's job? Was Goku now living alone?

"Well, I'm staying in a castle right now." Goku scratched at the back of his neck nervously as his brother shot him a surprised look. "So you can come over, I don't think there'd be much trouble." Besides, Vegeta had invited a total stranger into the castle, so why couldn't Goku invite his brother over for just a visit?

Raditz gave a nod of the head; the woman at the desk quickly found a piece of paper and handed it along with a pen to Goku. "Sure, I guess I could come check it out, as long as your bitch and her little spoiled brat aren't there."

Goku hastily wrote down the address and handed the paper over to his brother. "Um, naw, Chi-chi and Gohan won't be there, but my youngest, Goten, will be there."

A disgusted look crossed over Raditz's face as he took the paper and read over the address. "Do I need to call before coming out?" he asked when he didn't see a telephone number written down.

Goku shook his head as he encapsulated the trunk-like object again. "Just stop by whenever." He put the capsule back in its case before reaching down and grabbing his clipboard. He gave a slight nod of his head. "Have a nice day, both of you," he said sincerely before he turned to leave.

-0-

After his day's work, Goku finally landed back in front of Vegeta's castle immediately searching out the owner's ki. A satisfied smile was set on his face as he quickly walked the path that would lead him to the study. He'd learned in the past few days that his prince preferred seclusion—not that he didn't already know that—but he'd never had much reason to hang around Vegeta's castle like he did now.

He pushed open one of the large, ornate wooden doors and peered inside. Goku's head turned right, looking over at the rows of book shelves. He didn't know what most of them were about, just that they had to do with magic and potions, rules and regulations. There were a few "regular" reading books, old classics, but Goku wondered if they were only there for decoration, since they were the ones in plain sight.

One foot stepped inside, landing on the plush tan carpet, followed by the other. Dark eyes landed on the center of the room. A fireplace was jutting a few inches from the wall, the foundation and decorative stones a deep grey. A few feet in front of the fireplace sat a full chocolate-colored leather couch. No spikes of black hair could be seen over the top of the couch.

"Get in here and close the damn door, Kakarrot!"

Vegeta's barking came from the left, causing Goku to instantly do as was told before looking over in that direction. The desk Vegeta was sitting behind was truly fit for a king, or prince, as was the ornate and cushioned looking chair. Goku flashed the irritated Saiyan a friendly smile as he approached the desk. Large hands landed on the edge of the desk as the tall Saiyan leaned down a little to look at his partner.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Goku commented casually as he kept his eyes focused on the other man instead of the papers and books spread around the wide desktop.

A hand rose to finger the left side's ear piece. "They're fake," Vegeta answered with a small sigh. He'd forgotten he was even wearing the damn things. His earlier meeting lasted longer than he had intended and the eyewear had finally settled comfortably across his nose and cheeks.

"Fake?" the younger man questioned innocently. Goku watched as the small, square-framed reading glasses were removed from his lover's face and set on the desk. "Then why'd ya even need'em?"

The hand that had removed the glasses came back to rub his aching forehead. "Something about them making me look less threatening and more professional." Why was he even attempting to explain to this idiot? Another exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he tilted his head to clearly look at the younger man. That stupid smile was still plastered on his features and it made Vegeta grind his teeth even more. "What did you need? I'm assuming there was some reason you searched me out?"

Goku's smile faltered for but a second as he remembered there was an actual reason for seeking Vegeta out. "You'll never guess who I ran into today!" the excited tone making the young Saiyan look even more childish. "Raditz," he stated enthusiastically, not even waiting for Vegeta to ask who. Goku was too busy telling Vegeta the news to notice the narrowing eyes in front of him.

"So you saw your brother," Vegeta interrupted in a bored tone as he pushed himself from the chair.

"Yeah," Goku continued to keep his excited tone as Vegeta rounded the corner of the desk. The younger man turned his body to the side, and then turned again so his butt was pressed against the edge. A small gasp of air left his upturned lips as he pulled back away from the unusual pressure and slight pain. "You'll never guess where he works!"

By now Vegeta was standing beside the taller man, a hand landed over Goku's as a smirk turned Vegeta's lips up in a cruel smile. "You keep talking as if I care."

The words brushed against his necks before the pair of lips covered the heated flesh in a teasing kiss. Goku felt a blush heat his nose and cheeks as he once again leaned back, causing a wince to pass over his features. The hand covering his own brushed up his arm to lie on his shoulder, and the shorter body pushed more fervently against his side. "What about the boys?" the taller man rushed out in a hushed tone.

"You don't have to worry about them. You know Trunks would never intentionally seek me out." Another kiss was pressed against the younger's neck and Vegeta felt an arm slide around his waist. "And your son is stuck to his whiny ass." The taller body relaxed more against the desk as Vegeta slid his tongue along corded muscles. Vegeta suddenly pulled away, easily breaking out of Goku's loose hold. "Unfortunately I still have work to attend to."

The younger Saiyan's face fell. "Work?" Vegeta actually did work? A hand lifted to run through his spiky hair. "Then why'd ya…."

"To shut you up, idiot," the shorter man growled as he sat back down.

Goku turned back to face Vegeta. "Not fair," he pouted, leaning heavily on his hands, so he was stretched half-way across the desktop.

Vegeta huffed, pushing papers and pens around. "Don't care, now get out."

A frown now set upon his face, Goku pushed himself back up. "Can't I at least sit in here and talk to you while you work?" Surely whatever Vegeta's 'work' was, he could do while talking. Besides, Goku didn't really feel like trying to talk to that sarcastic Seventeen fellow or the two teenagers, but he didn't want to be alone, either.

The pen that Vegeta had been holding snapped, dribbling ink all over his hand and making a mess on the papers underneath it. "OUT!" the older Saiyan roared.

Goku's eyes went a little wide at the response, and he backed a bit away from the desk. He quickly corrected his posture, his mouth forming a straight line. "I'll talk to you later, then," he mumbled irritably as he walked toward the door, yanked it open, and gave it a small slam for good measure.

He stomped down the hall-way. Why did Vegeta have to be such a-what did Trunks call him? A _douche-bag!_ All he wanted was some company.

He rounded the corner which led to a short-cut to the foyer. Down this hall, portraits covered every portion of wall-space. Teh subject's whispered, talked about, and yelled at him. Goku always wondered if he was related to, or personally knew any of the portrait's subjects.

Soon he came up to a small, wooden door and opened it, revealing the foyer. The door he exited looked like a common cupboard door. He walked outside, desiring some fresh air. It was a particularly breezy day, and perfectly warm enough to train comfortably.

He was just getting started on some stretches, when a vaguely familiar ki approached an high speeds. Barely a moment later, Raditz roughly landed right before him, leaving a small dent in the ground.

"So, you really do live in a castle," The long-haired man began, "I was making plans to hunt you down and kick your ass if you were lying."

Goku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Well I actually don't _own _the place, its really Vegeta's-"

"Wait," Raditz said, giving Goku a questioning look, "Did you just say 'Vegeta'?"

"Yeah, its his castle, I just hang out here with Goten."

Raditz glared up at the immaculate stone structure, "Fucking little _prick..._" He growled out.

"I'm sorry, Raditz, but is there something wrong? Do you have a problem with Vegeta?"

The older saiyan said nothing and thrashed his tail. He stormed toward the entrance of the castle, eager to give Vegeta a piece of his mind.

Goku followed after his brother, liking the situation less and less with every step.

"Where's that bastard at?" Raditz snarled.

"R-Raditz, just tell me why you hate Vegeta, I'm pretty sure that we can sort it out."

"Oh yeah, right after I kick his scrawny ass!"

"What's going on, Goku?" Came Trunks' voice, "I heard raised voices and someone say my dad's name."

Raditz whipped around and faced the lavender-haired teen, "You're Vegeta's son?" He asked.

"Why is someone like you so interested in him," Trunks asked, suddenly changing his attitude, and eyeing the newcomer up and down with much interest.

"I have to talk to him," Raditz replied, giving a small smirk at Trunks' behavior, "Mind telling me where he is, since my useless brother won't?"

The teen bit his lip and slowly released it, as if in thought, "I suppose-"

"Trunks!" Goten suddenly shouted, entering the foyer as well, "What's taking so long?" He then halted at the sight of his scowling uncle. He tilted his head to the side and said, "I think I remember you from somewhere."

Shortly after Goten, Seventeen showed up in the foyer, "Are you all leaving, too?" He asked, slowing down his steps, and taking in the crowd before him. He smiled at Raditz, "You were supposed to call me, you loser," He said teasingly.

Raditz shrugged, "I've been busy; Anyway, what are you doing here? Kakarrot tells me that this is Vegeta's castle."

"Yeah it is, and I'm staying here, I guess." The younger man shook his hair out of his eyes, ignoring the scoff that came from Goten's direction, "What brings you way the fuck out here?"

"I'm looking for Vegeta, but everyone keeps dicking around."

"Well, you don't have to look," The prince himself began, standing in the arched threshold of the foyer, "Thanks to you all making such a racket, I cannot finish my work." He then glared straight at Raditz, and the foyer's other occupants suddenly didn't matter. "Thought I'd never see your ass again," He said coldly, still staring.

"Likewise," The larger tailed saiyan responded, "Seems like a lot has happened to you over the years,"

"So what of it?" Vegeta asked haughtily, "Your ass left me back there on Frieza's ship!"

"Well if you weren't always gloating about how _magical _and _powerful _you were, and constantly reminding me of being a third-class, or whatever, then I would have taken you with me!"

"_Dad_," Trunks interjected, "What's going on here? How does he know about your past?"

Vegeta ignored his son, and merely glared at the offending person standing in the middle of the foyer. "I was better off without your whiney ass!" He growled out, pointing at the tailed saiyan.

"I can say the same damn thing, you jumped-up little..._CRETIN!" _

Vegeta's expression remained sour, whereas Goku's mouth dropped. No one dared to insult Vegeta, aside from Bulma and Trunks. Trunks mouthed "oh my god" to his boyfriend, who was watching with much interest. Seventeen stood back looking rather haughty and bored, as if he had better things to do than stand around watching petty drama between old acquaintances.

"You're the _cretin_, you low-class Saiyan! At least _I _didn't go around lying about my blood-status! And, at least I'm not a Squib!" Seeing Raditz's face turn bright red, he smiled superiorly, "Yes, he continued, unlike yourself, I actually happen to be a first-class saiyan, _and _a properly-trained wizard."

Raditz looked mutinous. Goku's eyes switched nervously between the two heated saiyans. He definitely regretted having Raditz meet him here, and felt that separating Vegeta from him was the best idea, because the bigger guy looked ready for murder. "Let's get out of here, Vegeta," He whispered, " He placed his large hands on Vegeta's shoulders and steered him out of the foyer; Vegeta kept whipping his head back to give Raditz looks of the purest loathing.

The tailed saiyan glared at the entrance to the foyer. "So, what's going on?" Goten piped up.

"Yeah," Trunks added, "What's your deal with my dad?"

"We have unresolved differences," Raditz said angrily, "He's my ex."

"Do _what?" _Both boys exclaimed, giving the larger man incredulous looks. Seventeen merely sighed and checked his phone for the time.

"Yeah, we were in a relationship a long time ago," The saiyan said, tail flicking agitatedly, "And we have shit to resolve," He gave a low growl, "But now is obviously not the time; I can't believe I wasted my time coming out here."

"But it doesn't have to be a total waste," Seventeen said, smiling, "_I_ can make it worth your while," He came close to the older man and looked him lustily up and down.

"Can you, now?" Raditz responded lowly, grinning for the first time since he came to the castle. Forgetting the other two in the room, he bent low to capture the other man's mouth with his.

"Figures he wouldn't be single," Trunks muttered as quietly as he could, but due to the vastness of the foyer, his voice was magnified.

The two make-out partners broke apart with a suction-y sound, "Him and I?" The stripper asked, looking politely surprised, "No, we're more like friends-with-benefits. "I gave him a lap dance one day at the club, and later on we fucked at his studio when no one was there and took pictures. We just decided to keep contact after that."

"Do you still have the pictures?" Trunks asked a little too excitedly.

"_Not that it matters_," Goten hissed, glaring at his hopeful-looking boyfriend, "They're gonna have sex, so let's leave them!"

"Do you care to watch?" Seventeen asked, sliding his hand unashamedly across the front of Raditz's pants. "We'll put on a good show for you."

Trunks' smile widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but Goten interjected. "We're good, really, and I'd rather not watch my uncle plow you," He gave a fake, mocking smile, "Don't take it personally." He then put his arm around his disappointed boyfriend and, like Goku and Vegeta, they left the foyer.

"Looks like its just us," Seventeen observed, then allowed Raditz to pull him back into another kiss.

To the distaste of the paintings down the corridors, it took longer than normal to get to the younger man's bedroom, as both men paused to grab on each other and make-out furiously. Finally, they made it to Seventeen's first-floor bedroom. One could tell, upon entering, that the room was chosen in haste, and without care. The very calm and feminine decorations did not suit the room's occupant.

It was also obvious that this particular room was one of Bulma's designs. Instead of the low-ceilinged room being wood or stone, this room's walls were redone with sheetrock and painted white. The room wasn't as wide as it was long. On the right-hand wall, directly across from the large, cornflower-blue and silver high-rise four-poster bed, was a ceiling-high picture-window with white and blue curtains. Fitted below the window was a white couch with cornflower-blue and silver throw-pillows on it. The low ceiling above was intricately carved, and also painted white.

It was nearly impossible to tell that someone stayed in the room. There was no indication of an occupant, except for what looked like a black shirt draped across a blue cushioned armchair.

They said nothing to each other as they clumsily made it to the bed while making out. Raditz shoved his lover onto the bed and crawled on top of him. He made to simply tear the smaller man's shirt, but quick hands stopped him.

"I already told you about ruining my clothes," He warned, squeezing his small hands around broad wrists and feeling the raised veins.

"Then don't get me so fucking worked up," Raditz growled, pressing his hips urgently against his lover's groin.

"Hey, I gave up a date with a rich dude for you. At least keep my clothes intact."

"Whatever, Melvin, you know you can't be mad at me," The saiyan slipped his hands under the smaller man's shirt and raised it up.

"Wanna bet?" Seventeen smirked, and helped Raditz out of his shirt to reveal an impressive body-builder-type physique. He hungrily gazed at the sight and anxiously ran his fingertips across warm, rolling muscles. "Angry sex is _incredible_."

"_Any_ sex is incredible," Raditz began, dipping down to press his lips to his lover's, "As long as its done with me."

"Instead of running it," The younger man said, unbuttoning his jeans, "Why don't you put that mouth of yours to _good _use."

"So I'm the bitch this time, eh?" The saiyan brought his tail around to brush lightly against the smaller man's flat stomach. He then bent low to dip his tongue in his lover's navel.

"And why shouldn't you be?" Small hands dug through extremely thick hair urging the head further down.

Raditz tugged Seventeen's jeans down slightly to reveal raised hip bones. He pressed his lips to the warm skin, and allowed his tongue to snake out, licking the raised bone. "I ain't complainin', just making an observation." He finally tugged the jeans all of the way down and tossed them aside. "Free-balling, nice."

"I told you I was supposed to be going on a date," Seventeen said, taking his exposed shaft into his hand and pressing the tip to his lover's mouth. He gave a satisfied moan as wet warmth surrounded his length, and propped himself up on his elbows so he could watch.

Seventeen was used to getting asked out often by many different men, but occasionally a particularly intriguing guy comes along, and Raditz just so happened to be one of those guys. Upon seeing the saiyan as he entered the VIP section of the club a year ago, he was instantly attracted to the tall, perfectly sculpted man. He made it his decision that this guywas the man he was bringing home.

It was lucky chance that he was chosen by Raditz's friends that had come with him to the club to give a lap dance. It gave him a chance to whisper his intentions to the object of his lust, who was more than happy to agree.

As always, he praised himself for being so attractive and charming. He could have anyone he wanted wrapped around his finger for saying just the right words. Now he was going to have sex with this incredibly arousing man, who he found out actually models for porno magazines.

That night, he discovered that not only was this man a freak, and sported a strange tail that Seventeen found to be oddly sexy, but he also had an openness to drug experimentation. They both stayed high on cocaine and photographed their sexual encounter at the modeling studio while no one was there to stop them. Also they both got along with each other, much like friends would, and that never happens when Seventeen hooks up with someone.

Though they still saw other people, they remained in contact with each other, making plans to either have sex, or hang out; most of the time both together. Still, neither men seemed to know anything about each other aside from interests and names.

-0-

On the floor above, Vegeta stormed the proximity of his bedroom. "I can't believe that bastard! After all these-what the hell is he thinking just showing up here as if nothing happened! I completely forgot about his sorry ass until now."

"Raditz didn't know you stayed here, Vegeta," Goku reasoned, staring at his lover from the bed which he sat upon. "I tried to tell ya' that I invited him over; I didn't know that you two don't get along."

"And what," Vegeta growled, glaring at the younger saiyan through narrowed eyes, "The fuck made you think that you can just invite whomever you want over here."

Goku gulped, "I-I just figured that since you invited the stripper guy to stay...that I could invite my _brother _over for a visit." He added particular emphasis on the word 'brother' in hopes that it would keep him from being in even more trouble than he was already in.

"I _hate_ him!"

"M-maybe if you talk-"

"I'M NOT TALKING TO THAT BASTARD! YOU'RE STUPID FOR EVEN SUGGESTING IT!"

Goku frowned; he honestly didn't mean to upset Vegeta, but he felt that he did not deserve to be screamed at like that. "You're acting unrational,"

Vegeta laughed cruelly, "Don't bother trying to insult me if you can't even say the goddamned word correctly! It's _irrational_, dumb a-"

"Vegeta _stop!_" The younger saiyan jumped up and grabbed the irate prince by the shoulders. He's never intentionally manhandled anyone he cared about, but he was on the brink of losing it thanks to Vegeta's attitude. "If it really has been that long since you've seen him, then why can't you two just settle your differences?" His hold on Vegeta's shoulders slackened, and he slid his hands down the prince's arms.

"_Don't_ touch me!" Vegeta spat, snatching his hands away, "Just get the fuck away from me!"

Goku let his arms fall, and his temper flare-up diminished, "Damn, 'Geta, you're actin' an awful lot like Trunks. No offense to your son, or you, but you're kinda outta control, and its not like you."

"How the fuck do you know what I'm like?" The prince breathed, glaring pure daggers at the younger man, "You don't really know _me, _let alone the situation between Raditz and I, so I suggest you mind your own damn business."

"I just don't see how it matters; I mean, me and you are together, right?"

Vegeta nearly dropped the glass he was currently filling with amber liquid from a decanter on one of the tables, spilling strong-smelling liquor over his hands. "_Together?_ You think that you and I are actually in a _relationship?_"

"Well, yeah," Goku reached back to scratch the back of his head, "I mean, we just-"

"_Fucked_," The prince emphasized, refilling the glass, "That's all it is, Kakarrot, just sex. Do you honestly think that I'm going to be in a _relationship _with another man, while I'm married, and hold a high-profile career?"

"Then what are we? I mean, we do lots of stuff together other than," A faint blush covered his cheeks and nose, "Sex."

Vegeta sighed, losing the heat of his anger. Dealing with Goku was exhausting on its own. He took his time answering in order to finish off his drink. "To put in terms that I hope you understand, we're _friends with benefits._ Its going to _stay _that way, unless you have a problem with it, then you can go back to your disappointing wife."

Goku was quiet for a moment, and meekly observed Vegeta filling himself another glass, "I guess you're right," He said finally, "It would be difficult to run two relationships, when one is hard enough as it is. And," He added a bit more carefully, "If you don't want Raditz around, I'll leave with him and hang out with him someplace else."

Vegeta raised his glass to his lips and thought. How many years was it since he and Raditz broke up? And what was it for, again? Was it even worth trying to talk to him? A lot can go on over a long period of time; maybe Raditz isn't nearly as bad now, as he was when they were Frieza's soldiers.

"Where did you say he worked again?" He asked, not knowing why that question popped up in his head.

Goku stared off in thought, "Oh, um, some modeling place...its a weird name; I think it was something called ecstasy rouge, or whatever."

The prince's eyes widened slightly, "That's very interesting," He said, finishing his second drink.

"How's it interesting?"

"Because, the modeling company you just named does pornography." Vegeta said as if it couldn't be more obvious, "I wonder what's got him doing porn?" He asked, mostly to himself, "Then again, he'd be perfect...he was always a freak."

"Does this mean you're going to go talk to him?" Goku asked, feeling irritable all of a sudden.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt,"

"So now that you know he's a porn star, you want to go talk to him?" The younger saiyan blurted out before he could stop himself.

Vegeta turned away from the door he was headed to and smiled, "Jealousy _really _doesn't suit you, _Goku_," His smile widened at the deeper blush across Goku's face.

-8-

"What are you doing, Trunks?" Goten asked back in Trunks' bed room. The older saiyan was currently half-hidden under his bed, searching for something.

Trunks shifted under the bed, "I'm lookin' for where-_Aha!_ Found it!" He crawled backward from underneath; a magazine was held in one hand. Both boys had come to the castle shortly after Chi-Chi made them stay in the living room, as it was rather awkward having the woman watch them like a hawk while they played MTG.

"What's that?" The younger boy asked when his boyfriend climbed back onto the bed.

"_This,_" Trunks said, flipping through the magazine's pages, each containing a nude person of some sort, "Is where I remember seeing your uncle." He turned the magazine around so he could show his boyfriend the page containing his suggestively-posed, completely nude uncle.

"Gross, Trunks, I don't wanna see that!" Goten whined, pushing the magazine out of his face.

The older half-saiyan looked back down at the picture. "He's got an incredible figure," His fingertips traced over the picture as he continued to stare hungrily. He felt his body respond to the naughty thoughts forming in his head. "Melvin is _so _lucky!"

"Trunks, you're such a pervert!" Goten huffed, crossing his arms and staring disapprovingly at the magazine. "That's my damn uncle you're lustin' after!"

"As if," The older boy scoffed, "Who _wouldn't _want to be wrapped up in all of those _perfect _muscles? Or be roughed up by those enormous hands? I'll be his bitch _any _day..."

"Need I remind you that he's supposedly your dad's ex-boyfriend? So, if you fuck him, you're basically fucking your dad."

"Whatever, Goten," Trunks huffed, tossing the magazine aside and adjusting his pants, "Its just a picture." He paused for a minute, "Actually, I can't believe that Dad is actually _bi._ I wish I knew what happened to them."

"Does it really matter?" Goten shrugged, "I mean, it was the past, right? More importantly, what if Vegeta _invites_ him to stay? You gonna fuck him, along with Seventeen?"

"Oh my god, dude, stop being a dick! I'm not gonna be fucking anyone!"

"Yeah right, I saw the way you were smiling at Seventeen. You fancy him,"

Trunks rolled his eyes and groaned, "Goten, I don't fancy anyone but you! We've been through this."

Goten said nothing and stared at the bed below him. He had no clue whether or not Trunks was believable, being that the teen was so unpredictable. A sudden hand on the front of his pants broke him from his reverie.

"Want me to _show _you how much I fancy you?" The older half-Saiyan said, smiling darkly and rubbing his hand against the front of his boyfriend's pants, "Then you can show me."

-8-

Seventeen and Raditz collapsed onto the bed, both breathing heavily, and covered in sweat and other bodily fluids.

"Wow..." Raditz breathed, staring glassy-eyed at the ceiling, "That was..._thanks!_"

"Anytime," Seventeen responded, stretching out on his stomach, blankets covering his lower half. "How much longer are you going to be here?"

The saiyan rolled onto his side to face his partner, "Ready to get rid of me already?" He said in a mock-pout, "Next time I will remember to call you, so I don't get dismissed so early."

"Oh, shut up," The younger man rolled his pale blue eyes, "I was actually going to invite you to stay with me tonight, if you weren't busy."

"I don't know if Vegeta would go for that. And speaking of which, did you fuck him to get a place here?"

Seventeen smiled as if pleased with himself, "You can say that; I mean, we fucked and he gave me a room the next day."

"Damn, man, I was just joking when I asked," Raditz gave an amused chuckle, "You really live up to your reputation, don't you?"

"You ought to know the answer to that," The smaller man slid closer to his lover, "Stay with me, and I'll _really_ refresh your memory, if you have forgotten."

"You don't say," Raditz's tail slid over his own body then over to snake along the smaller form next to him. "We've been doing this for _how long,_ now? I think I know you well enough to conclude that you are quite the slut."

"I prefer to consider myself _sexually liberated_; being called a _slut _makes me sound cheap."

Raditz snorted, "I think I know first hand that you aren't cheap," He placed large hands on his partner's body and easily pulled him even closer. "At any rate, I think I'll stay," He then smirked at the touch of a smaller, slender hand running along his tail, "Since you're make it so hard to say no. I ought to at least talk to Vegeta first, huh?"

Seventeen's hand stopped its ministrations, yet his expression remained indifferent, "That's entirely up to you; I couldn't care less what you do."

"A little encouragement would be nice,"

"Oh, Raditz, you don't need any encouragement," The younger man crooned, lazily trailing his fingertips over his lover's impressive arm muscles, "You're a big boy, you can talk to Vegeta _without_ someone kissing your ass and petting you up."

"I think you did plenty of _that_ a few minutes ago," The saiyan smiled, then pushed himself up into a sitting position, and slid off of the bed. He gathered up his jeans from the floor and slid them on without bothering to grab his boxer-shorts.

It was only after he had started his trek through the wide corridor that he didn't know where he was going at all. He took to looking out of the rows of tall, ornate windows to his left, just in case Vegeta were outside. There were also so many rooms to check in down this particular hall, that the saiyan was disappointed that he didn't bring his ancient scouter with him.

Still, the walk gave him time to think. Sure, Vegeta being a total jerk to him years ago really hurt, but it _was _a long time ago. Perhaps there was a chance that they could get along?

He had known Vegeta their entire service in Frieza's army. He and Nappa, the oldest surviving Saiyan of Planet Vegeta's destruction, were also the only two who also knew about the prince's little escapades to Earth in order to put his magical abilities to proper use.

Frieza didn't seem to notice the lengthy absence of the prince, being that some missions did take many months to complete. The little tyrant was so shoved up his own ass, that he didn't notice anything more than how many planets he sold, and how much he got paid for them in return.

It wasn't until Vegeta was fifteen, perhaps sixteen, that Raditz noticed Vegeta's attraction to him. He brushed it off as nothing more than teenage hormones and frustrations, being that there were no women to bed on the ship. He figured that the worked-up prince would be fine once he went back to that Earth school.

Still, the advances increased and became more and more straight-forward. He had never known Vegeta to be so flirtatious; cocky and full of himself, yes, but never amorous. He continued to ignore the prince's advances, but will-power can only last so long when he was frustrated as well.

On one particular occasion, Frieza was holding a celebratory party in name of their success from selling an extremely difficult planet. The tyrant was so excited over receiving an overly-large sum of money, that he was feeling quite generous.

He, himself had a generous helping of alcoholic drinks, but he was sober compared to how utterly _wasted_ Vegeta was.

The teen's tail, which was always wrapped neatly around his waist, was in danger of being trailed along the floor. He couldn't take a step without stumbling and giggling about it. That was another shocker: the giggling.

"_Raditz,_" The prince slurred, leaning on the taller man with all of his weight. He turned his head up and fixed his glassy-eyed gaze toward his love-interest. "You know...t'morrow I hafta go back to," His voice lowered considerably, so that Raditz had to read his lips, "_Earth._" His hand moved over Raditz's armored chest, "I wanna stay the night with you."

"Vegeta," Raditz sighed, "You're drunk; you and I both know that we'll regret it."

Vegeta frowned, "You're really an idiot, then, aren't you? I have been very nice to you, and you steadily ignore me! I _want _you! And I know you want me as well; I _see_ it."

The older saiyan couldn't deny that he found Vegeta's more aggressive advances quite frustrating, but he never viewed the prince as more than a fellow warrior. He, Vegeta and Nappa all stuck together because they were saiyans.

He concluded that someone must have laced Vegeta's drink, because there was no way a person as proud as the prince would behave in such a manner.

"You must stop this," Raditz insisted, grabbing smaller hands into his, "You don't know what you're saying!"

"I _do_ know what I'm sayin'," Vegeta huffed, snatching his hands back, which caused his body to wobble a bit. "I just wanted to have a good time with you before I go," His glare never left the other's wide-eyed stare.

Raditz glanced from anger-narrowed black eyes to the scowl-contorted mouth. He caught himself considering the offer, if only to keep Vegeta happy. Then again, he had never known Vegeta to be much of a drinker, or a party-goer for that matter. A crazy thought suddenly crossed his mind: _what if he were drugged? _There were plenty of people around who had it in for the prince; the Ginyu Force especially. He wouldn't put it past those bastards to try something.

"How many drinks have you had?"

Vegeta looked a little put off, and then furrowed his brow as if in thought, "One...and a half," He answered slowly, "Why?"

The older Saiyan glanced across the room; Captain Ginyu's hulking form was easily visible amongst the other figures crowding the area. The purple-skinned alien caught his gaze and gave a superior smirk, raising his own glass to him.

Raditz rolled his eyes, "Let's just get out of here," He muttered to the other Saiyan.

Thankfully, the drugs in Vegeta's system weren't strong enough to knock him out, just strong enough to alter his mind and disorient him. Still, Raditz found it extremely hard to keep his resolve from crumbling due to the prince's, heavily-aggressive advances. He eventually gave in, allowing the teen to take him, being that Vegeta insisted that he wasn't going to be the "bitch".

Nonetheless, Vegeta left early the next morning. Raditz generally felt awkward about the previous night; whereas the prince acted as if nothing happened, that he didn't wake up next to his Saiyan comrade that he was dead-set on having sex with just hours before. Perhaps there was a bit of warmth in Vegeta's farewell, but maybe that was wishful thinking.

Raditz was left confused. He found himself starting to count the days since Vegeta's departure. He also noticed the lack of tension on the ship, especially concerning the higher-ranking soldiers who viewed the prince as a threat rather than an ally. To him, though, the lack of tension was rather disquieting. He also found himself being more bored than he usually was when Vegeta would leave, and didn't know what to do with himself, so he resorted to requesting extra solo and duo missions with Nappa.

After what seemed like an eternity, Vegeta finally returned. Raditz held back his sudden, and uncharacteristic surge of excitement, in favor of a more formal greeting. What he didn't expect, especially from Vegeta's unreadable attitude, was that they would once again end up in bed together mere moments after the arrival.

Over the course of the break, Vegeta expressed with much enthusiasm of his one last year left at the magic school. Raditz was genuinely happy for him, though he kept his envious thoughts to himself. See, he himself expressed certain magical tendencies, but was never presented with the opportunity to hone his skills like Vegeta had.

Vegeta was told about the magic school by his father, and was told to sneak down there when he was of age and request to be part of the school's program. Raditz never got that. But, because he was growing fonder of the prince, and wanted the feelings to remain mutual, he shut his mouth. Besides, it was bad enough that he pretended to be a First-Class warrior, when he was really Third-Class.

And keeping distracted from the more bitter thoughts was easy, as Vegeta proved to be extremely sexually energetic, thanks largely to _Saiyan _teenage hormones. However, their constant coupling only made the departure for Vegeta's final year that much harder.

What Raditz didn't realize was that after Vegeta returned from his final year, the prince would be completely changed. He was excited for the prince to be a fully-qualified wizard, but was put-off by his political prospects. Vegeta had always been ambitious when it came to obtaining power, but he never expected that it would go as far as politics. Vegeta's gain-physical-power-and-conquer-everything attitude was diminished and replaced with thoughts of the political success that would accompany his prestigious ability with magic.

In Raditz's opinion: Vegeta was going mad. And this was the source of their constant fights. Raditz simply couldn't understand why Vegeta would be so adamant on being a successful wizard, when being a successful warrior was the Saiyan way?

Vegeta couldn't understand why Raditz couldn't just accept that being a Saiyan wizard was better than just being a Saiyan, and that he was going to advance his magical abilities and power beyond just simple wand waves and potions to get what he wants.

The fights lasted for a couple of years until things got violent one day between the couple. Vegeta had insulted Raditz for being a Squib and a low-ranking Saiyan, and even went as low as to comment on his (lack of) ability in bed.

Raditz, genuinely heartbroken, voice hoarse from all the screaming he did questioning Vegeta's sanity, and body bruised and battered, jumped in the nearest space pod. He left for wherever the auto-pilot was programmed to go. Lost in his own emotional storm, he did not notice that he'd be heading for Earth.

The saiyan sighed heavily at the memories and lashed his tail out in agitation. How many rooms and halls did this castle have? He felt as if he had been walking for ages. Suddenly, the booming voice of his quarry coming from a room nearby broke him from his thoughts and made him hopeful again.

"_BOY!_" The prince screamed, making Raditz jump involuntarily. Oh, how he did _not _miss that tone of voice, "I'M GONNA FUCKING ROAST YOUR STUPID BIRD IF YOU DON'T LEARN TO CAGE IT!" Suddenly, a large masked owl was seen flying for its life at the hall perpendicular to the one that Raditz walked.

Before Raditz could decide whether or not it was a bad time to talk things out with Vegeta, another scream could be heard.

"OMIGOD, DAD!" Came the voice of the purple-haired teen seen earlier. He was also seen at the end of the hall, stomping toward the sound of his father's voice. The scared owl swept past his master, not liking the yelling coming from him, either.

"Do you have to go around destroying shit just 'cause it annoys you?" The boy asked, meeting his father at the point where the two halls met.

"I hate that stupid owl of yours," Vegeta ground out, "If you can't take care of anything else you own, at least keep _that _in check! If not, then...well you know what will happen."

The boy rolled his cerulean eyes, "I was just about to actually get some ass, and then you had to go on and ruin it just 'cause you're scared of birds."

Vegeta let out a derisive laugh, "I feel sorry for Kakarrot's brat, but as long as he keeps you away from..." He then stopped, as he noticed Raditz's presence. Obviously Trunks did too, judging from his extremely intrigued expression.

"Sorry to interrupt..." Raditz said, not at all sounding apologetic.

The prince blinked, a bit shocked by his ex's lack of a shirt, but quickly regained his composure, "Its quite alright," He said a bit arrogantly. He then glanced over at his son, who was all but drooling over the sight before him, "Pull yourself together, boy, and go on somewhere,"

"What?" Trunks asked, obviously dazed.

"_Go!_" Vegeta brandished his finger in the direction opposite of their little group. Trunks gave him a look of purest loathing and stormed off.

"Seems like you've been having fun," Vegeta said stiffly, fully taking in just how little clothing the taller man was wearing. He also had a sneaking suspicion that he didn't even have on any sort of underwear. "You reek of sex,"

"Don't tell me you're jealous," Raditz teased, also staring the shorter man down, "What happened to your tail?"

Vegeta's expression hardened, and he drew himself up proudly, and angled his chin upward slightly. "It doesn't matter now," Was all he said on the subject.

The older saiyan switched his weight to one leg and crossed his arms, "How's your being a wizard going for you?"

The younger saiyan smiled as if he had been waiting for that question to be asked, "Perfectly, actually. I am a governor for the Ministry."

"Living your dream, then, eh?" Raditz let out a quiet chuckle, "Even have a spawn of your own, how _sweet._ I've never imagine you being a family man, Vegeta. Is there a _bitch_ at your beck and call as well?"

Vegeta let out a small, exasperated sigh. He had forgotten that Raditz had a general disregard for women, considering them merely objects used to order around and have sex with. If the man ever met his own unsatisfactory wife, he'd surely never hear the end of it, if he chose to keep in contact with his ex.

"There is," He said grimly, "But she is currently away on business."

Raditz merely snorted, but gave no further comment.

"And what about yourself?" Vegeta asked, "I hear you're doing porn, unless it was some sort of silly figment of Kakarrot's imagination."

"Nope, he is absolutely right. He was actually delivering some very valuable film equipment for us," He gave a disapproving snort, "I guess the humble job suits his simple-mindedness."

"Oh, and your job suits you because your some sort of sex-god, huh?" The prince chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Raditz simply shrugged and said, "If the shoe fits," He then got quiet for a moment before continuing, "Listen, uh, I know its been forever, and we didn't really end things very well-"

"Don't worry about it," Vegeta interjected, raising a hand up, "Its all in the past. We were too young and full of ourselves to know what the fuck we were doing, anyhow."

"So there's no chance...?"

"Not in a million years, sorry." The younger man gave a heavy sigh, "At any rate, you were here to see Kakarrot, were you not?" He paused as Raditz nodded his reply, "Do you want me to fetch him for you?" He wanted to add _since I know you can't sense ki_, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"It doesn't matter," Raditz shrugged, "Melvin kinda wanted me to stay with him, but I figured I'd ask you."

"Who asked...?"

"Mel-_Seventeen_. I didn't realize that he never told you his name," He smiled ruefully, "I think he's rather shy about it."

"Well, whatever, you can stay with him, I suppose. I have no clue when the woman's going to be back, or if she is going to be back for that matter," He stared out of a nearby window as if lost in thought, "Anyway, have fun with _Melvin _or whatever the fuck he's called. And you know enough about wizards and whatnot to know not to touch anything." He then paused once more, "And ignore the paintings. They like to talk shit just to piss you off."

Vegeta walked off remembering the conversations he and Raditz had so long ago concerning just these things. He found himself curious as to what would have happened if Raditz never left.


	4. Marooned

**A/N: Self-Mutilation warning (very descriptive), and underage drinking. **

Bulma gave her lover one last wave before he exited her hotel room. Her and Yamcha had gotten into it another argument over the phone almost a week ago, so she found herself a boy-toy to keep her company during her mini-vacation.

Today, however, after being gone for two weeks, she was going home. She tried keeping in touch with Trunks, but he next to never answered his cell phone that he had a fit over, so the most she could do was send text messages or leave voicemails.

She gathered her things and got ready to leave on her private aircraft. She hoped that things were alright at the castle, especially between Trunks and Vegeta. She didn't mean to stay gone more than three days, but the country was so beautiful, and she honestly needed an extended break from all of the chaos.

Trunks never sounded upset with her on the phone. Their few conversations were short, and Trunks always seemed distracted. Still, there was no telling what kind of reaction she'd get out of him when she got home. She was personally glad she picked him out some nice gifts.

She went to an emptier part of the hotel parking lot so she could unleash her small, capsulated aircraft. Upon flying, she imagined ways she could make things up with Yamcha. Sure their last argument was about exactly what happened when they split, she got a new boyfriend. She didn't care for his jealous tendencies, but she also got jealous occasionally when Yamcha would get phone calls from lady friends. The jealousy didn't stick around, though, as she knew that the other women wouldn't stick around long, and she always had her secret weapons of getting Yamcha back.

_Just wait until he gets a look at this new lingerie I bought! _Bulma thought to herself, giggling a little. Then the idea hit her, maybe she'd visit him first, that way she would ensure her relationship with him; plus, none of the others knew she was coming home, so what's another few hours?

She landed in front of Yamcha's apartment and re-capsulated the aircraft. Normally one would have to enter through the gate at the drive-way of the apartment complex, after, of course, checking in with the gate guard first. The gate guard to the complex, however, was very well aware of Bulma methods of transportation, and no longer had an issue with her abrupt appearances.

She climbed the stairs to Yamcha's second-story room. She then tugged down her shirt a bit, showing the maximum amount of cleavage that the fabric would show. Satisfied with her wardrobe-adjusting, she knocked on the door.

Shortly afterward, the door opened. Yamcha stood before her looking disheveled, especially his messy long hair, with a toothbrush stuck in his mouth. He obviously had just woken up right before she arrived. She couldn't help but wonder what he could have been doing that would make him sleep in until three in the afternoon.

The tall ex-bandit turned and lazily beckoned Bulma inside the apartment. She waited patiently in the sitting room while Yamcha finished getting cleaned up and properly dressed.

The one bedroom apartment was small and plain, but still neat. The walls and ceiling were painted white, and softly-glowing bulbs were screwed into indentions made in the ceiling. Beech flooring was placed, with decorative rugs resting on top in various places in the room.

"What's up?" Yamcha asked innocently, walking back into the room, and looking a bit more awake. He didn't act like there was anything wrong, which raised Bulma's suspicion even more. First, the ex-bandit was sleeping in, which he next to never does, and secondly, he was awfully friendly, despite their last fight. Yamcha and Bulma usually held grudges when it came to being mad at each other, so something had to be up.

Bulma stayed quiet for a moment, wanting to choose her words wisely. "Did you have a late night, or something?" She asked, trying to keep her voice as pleasant as possible.

The bandit shrugged, "I just went out with the assistant manager and the coach from the team; we had a few drinks." He then took a seat next to the woman and stretched his arms along the headrest of the couch. "So, you're back in town? You didn't call."

"I figured I'd surprise you," Bulma replied. She found Yamcha's story hard to believe, but she didn't want to start another fight. Also, she supposed she was probably just a little paranoid and insecure, especially since finding out that her husband was fooling around with another man. Yeah, that one was a definite ego-deflator. "Did you have any plans for today?"

"Not that I can think of," Yamcha got quiet for a moment before continuing, "Look, uh, what I said the other day, I didn't mean it. We're not a couple, and what you do and who you're with while you're away is none of my business."

The blue-haired woman sighed, "You know I'd love to take you with me, but your job keeps you busy, and sometimes I just need to get away, and-"

"I know, Bulma, I do. I just can't help but get worried, I guess, when you act so...recklessly."

Breathy laughter escaped Bulma's lips and she smiled at her lover. "And drinking all night with your baseball colleagues isn't? Or did you do something else?" she questioned a bit teasingly, even though she was seriously curious.

"I picked up a hooker."

"Jeez, Yamcha, do you really have to be so desperate that you resort to paying for sex?"

"I'm _joking!_ Actually, I met someone after Chad and Nathan left." He gave a slight shrug, as if the person he'd met wasn't all that important.

Bulma felt a twinge of annoyance. So _that's _why Yamcha was out so late! He met a girl! She shook her head. "It figures," she muttered a little bitterly.

"What, Bulma? You didn't even give me a chance to tell you who it was! It was a dude named Turles, who looks like Goku and is in a metal band."

"_Looks like Goku?_ Damn, Yamcha, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable, shit."

"I'm not lying! And so what if it was a girl, which HE wasn't? I am allowed to date whoever the fuck I want, just like you do. Besides, I do wanna get married sometime, and since you have made it perfectly clear that you're not leaving Vegeta, I must look somewhere else."

"You know that I would, but my career..." she started slowly.

"I know," The ex-bandit sighed as he stopped the same explanation he'd been handed a million times. He said nothing more and stared blankly at his hands folded in his lap. He didn't like to argue with Bulma, but he wasn't going to stand for any double standards.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Bulma said after a few minutes of awkward silence, "I'm just being insecure, I suppose. It's just so hard, because you're the only one that actually gives a damn, but we aren't, and can't be together." She then stood up feeling a wave of depression hit her. "I'm just gonna go...gotta get back to the castle."

"I'm sorry, too, Bulma," Yamcha replied, watching the woman head toward the door. "I'll just call you later on-or you can call me."

Bulma gave a slight nod of her head, indicating that she heard him. "Whichever," she agreed, half-heartedly, as she stepped through the door.

-0-

Trunks and Goten walked into the gated outside garden that was directly below Vegeta's tower, and led into the main hall through glass doors. The darkening, cloud-laden sky was streaked with pink and orange near the distant mountains.

"I hate that you have to go," Trunks pouted at his boyfriend.

"I've been here three days straight, Trunks, and Mom wants me home." Goten gripped Trunks' shoulders and pulled him into a quick kiss. Upon trying to pull away, he found himself being crushed against the other's body, which deepened the kiss.

Suddenly, the sound of someone coughing could be heard, which broke the two boys apart. Still holding onto each other, they looked toward the sound of the cough. They found none other than Seventeen smoking and sitting on the side of the ornate fountain that occupied the very center of the garden. He seemed more interested in staring blankly at the foxglove flowers that took up the portion of the garden across from the circular walkway that surrounded the fountain.

"He knows we're here," Goten grumbled, glaring at the primly-sitting man. "He can sense ki."

"I don't see what your problem is," Trunks responded a bit too cheerfully, also staring at Seventeen. "He's obviously minding his own business, or else he'd be over here." He then turned back to Goten, who looked ready for a fight. "Well, you gotta leave now, don't you?" he asked a bit hastily.

The younger half-saiyan huffed loudly and punched his boyfriend in the shoulder. "I'm your fucking boyfriend! And, besides, you wanted me to stay mere moments ago!"

"And you were saying you didn't wanna be in trouble," Trunks argued. "And I don't want you to be, either, alright?" he smoothly answered as if he hadn't just been upset a few seconds ago.

Goten glared angrily into cerulean eyes. "You're a walking contradiction, you know that?" He spat before turning to the sky and flying off.

Trunks watched as the figure became smaller and smaller. Finally Goten was nothing more than a tiny dot in the sky. He then strode over to where Seventeen, who had thumped aside his joint end, sat.

"Hey," He said glumly, taking a seat next to the black-haired man.

"I couldn't help but overhear," Seventeen began, "That your beloved boyfriend is jealous of me."

"No, he just doesn't trust you...or me."

The older man turned and faced the younger and smiled pleasantly, "I actually consider it a compliment. It shows that he finds me attractive enough to actually be a threat to him."

"You really do adore yourself, don't you?" Trunks laughed.

"And why not? I am the only one I care about."

"You don't have any family members you care about?" the teen asked curiously.

Seventeen paused a moment, a little stunned at how he didn't expect that question, then quickly righted himself. "No, I do not." He then became very quiet.

Realizing that he might have touched a nerve, Trunks quickly switched the conversation back to Goten. "So, yeah, he's a bit threatened by you, and thinks that we're doing something together. It's pretty annoying," he scoffed at the very idea of this attractive man actually reciprocating the teen's feelings and desires.

The black-haired man smirked and cupped Trunks' face in his hands. He tilted his head slightly and pressed his lips softly to the blushing teen's, as if he were his precious lover.

"There you are," he said charmingly, fixing his empty, pale-blue eyes on shining cerulean ones. "Now Goten _really _has a reason not to trust either of us."

The red-faced half-saiyan stared in shock, raising his hand to his mouth. What was Seventeen trying to play at by kissing him? "I-um..."

"Liked it," Seventeen interrupted, continuing Trunks' sentence, "And obviously your boyfriend hasn't _fucked _you yet, or else you wouldn't be chasing me so soon in your relationship."

Trunks sighed and looked at the fountain. Was he that obvious? Was he that desperate for sex that he had to unconsciously hound other men? He really was a fool. He didn't want to cheat on Goten, and sharing a house with such an attractive person must be a test of loyalty and willpower.

Suddenly, the garden's lights turned on, indicating that the sun had fallen. The lights illuminated the running water and the enormous glass doors leading into the castle.

Seventeen took advantage of Trunks' silence and kissed him once more, this time more deeply. He placed his hands upon the teen's chest, feeling the rapid heart-rate. "Do I make you nervous?" He whispered, staring intently into the saiyan's eyes.

Trunks face turned redder, but he didn't move away, "Yes," He answered truthfully, "W-we shouldn't-I mean, _I _shouldn't," he babbled, unsure of what to do in this situation.

"You're doing an awful job of fighting me off," The older man slid one of his hands through long, lavender-colored hair, his face barely an inch from the other's, as if he were teasing Trunks to take the next step.

Resolve crumbling, Trunks gave in. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to Seventeen's. The older man promptly opened his mouth slightly to allow his tongue to sweep across the seam of Trunks' mouth. His hold on the back of the teen's head tightened once he was able to coax pliant lips open to allow both tongues to meet.

Trunks' mind screamed _bad idea!_ but his body suggested otherwise. His heart raced, and his arms wrapped around the slim form, which pulled their bodies closer together. He craved the touch that his own boyfriend continually denied him, and he was quite certain that Seventeen would indulge him in his desperate need if this continued on.

_But isn't this cheating, too? _He asked himself mentally, _No, it's just a kiss, right? I can stop at any time...any time..._

But when was any time? What if Goten did the same thing? The questions kept going through his head as the fervent kiss intensified. He had to make a decision quick, because he was sure that Seventeen wasn't going to just keep making out with him without there being an afterward.

Suddenly, as if on cue, a very familiar ki was felt. Barely a moment afterward the sound of a loud, whirring engine could be heard a bit outward in the lawns.

"I think that's my mom," Trunks said, almost thankful for the excuse to break apart from the make-out session. However, a small part of him did feel a bit disappointed that he would have to waste such a perfect opportunity to indulge himself in such an interesting and arousing man.

"She can wait a little longer to see you," Seventeen muttered, pulling Trunks back into the kiss.

"_Please, _Mel, I've got to go," The young half-saiyan whispered urgently.

The black-haired man blinked at the name Trunks just called him. He hadn't been called _Mel _in a long time, and it caught him off guard.

"I'm so sorry," Trunks said, pushing himself from the fountain bench. He gave one more regretful glance before walking off toward the glass doors. He wondered what in the world possessed him to be so apologetic. Goten was his boyfriend, not Seventeen. He shouldn't care whether the man's feelings were hurt or not. Regardless, he still felt like such a jerk. He had managed to piss off his boyfriend and stand-up a hottie all within a matter of fifteen minutes.

He stepped through the threshold of the glass doors leading into the main hall. He glanced back at the fountain, and could not see Seventeen at all, even under the lights. "She's going to trip out when she finds out about Dad's housemates," he muttered to himself. "And Goku's been around an awful lot, more than usual...I swear something's going on..."

He heard the tell-tale sound of heels clicking against the stone floor, and waited with bated breath as his mother stepped through the threshold connecting the hall to the foyer. She must have left all of her things outside, since she didn't carry any bags. Trunks supposed that she would simply ask a servant to fetch her things.

"Hey, Trunks!" She squealed happily, rushing over to her son and hugging him tightly. "How are you?" she asked once she pulled away from him, giving his body a quick once-over to make sure he was truly okay.

Trunks shrugged, "Alright, I guess." He sighed a little sadly. "You've been gone too long, Mom."

"I'm sorry, honey, my business trip took longer than expected." She then brightened. "I bought you some things, though."

"Thanks, Mom," Trunks responded a bit more somberly than usual when there was a mention of presents.

"About damn time you came home," Vegeta said suddenly, stomping down the stairs agitatedly.

"And hello to you too," Bulma responded coldly, folding her arms across her chest. "Hope you've had a nice time while I was away."

Her husband stopped a little more than three feet from her. "Of course," he responded with a mocking smile.

Bulma only huffed at his answer and turned her attention back towards her son. "How was school?"

The teen gave a slight shrug. "Same as always, I suppose."

The woman nodded, not surprised at her son's answer. "You and your father didn't get into too much fighting, did you?" She shot a nasty look at her husband.

"Not really, but it's mostly because..." Trunks started but was quickly interrupted by his father.

"I've invited some people to stay here with me, so I would appreciate it if you didn't show your ass while you're home."

"Oh, so your little black-haired _bitch_ is still here, then? Y'know, the very _feminine _one?" Bulma spat, half-forgetting that her son was standing next to them.

Vegeta smirked victoriously. "Yes, why? Are you upset that I didn't invite _Yamcha _to stay?"

All the while Trunks stared back and forth between his parents. Although they were both professionals at keeping their arguments quiet, as Bulma didn't want Trunks to hear how bad the problems were; they seemed to have forgotten that their son was standing there taking it all in.

"What do you mean, Dad?" He demanded. "Why would Yamcha have anything to do with this?"

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Vegeta chuckled. "That's your mother's new boyfriend." The prince crossed his arms and continued to smirk at his wife.

Trunks' eyes widened, "So that must mean..." Then he gasped and stared wildly at his father, "So you've been messing with Seventeen?"

The older man snorted, his smirk turned quickly into a scowl. "And why not?"

The teen's eyes then fell on his mother. "And you both know about this? This isn't right!" He knew his parents hadn't been on the best of terms since, well, it seemed like forever to him.

Cerulean eyes never leaving Vegeta's, Bulma said, "Trunks, I think you need to go to your room. Your father and I need to talk."

"I'm not going any damn where!" The teen stomped his foot down on the floor as his hands tightened into fists.

"You don't have to," Vegeta growled and gripped Bulma's upper arm. He then stepped forward slightly and Apparated.

Trunks couldn't believe his father had done that! Actually, he couldn't believe that he had just made out with the same dude that was sucking his dad's _and _Raditz's dicks. Also, that had to explain Goku's multitude of appearances at the castle! But that would mean that Goku was cheating on Chi-Chi! "I fucking knew it!" The teen hissed out through gritted teeth.

And his mother; he would never have dreamed that she'd go after Yamcha of all people again! Not with how much they argue. That made him wonder what else she's done and why she had so many business trips, and that most of those business trips always seemed to get extended unexpectedly.

He stormed through the double doors in the foyer that led to the dining-hall. His footsteps echoed loudly against the extremely-shiny marble tile floor. The dining hall was narrow compared to the main hall, but quite long. Hanging against the walls between enormous round-topped windows to the left were large white tapestries with what was found out to be the red Saiyan crest made onto it. Along the center was a lone, long, wooden table with blood-red cloth covering its surface. High-backed wooden chairs were placed along its length. The intricately-molded ceiling seemed to be as high as the castle itself, therefore causing any noise to echo, making it an awkward place to enjoy a meal.

From there he burst through the smaller wooden door, directly behind the table, that led to the kitchen. The kitchen was smaller than the dining hall, and just about every surface was a type of shiny metal; it looked a lot like a restaurant's kitchen. There was a double oven integrated into the wall, and automatic meat slicers were bolted into the end of the island table. What was strange was all of these looked unused; being that the servants mostly used magical methods to prepare food.

The upset teen sighed. The whole situation was extremely confusing to the boy. Why would his parents openly cheat on each other? Were things between them _that bad?_ Surely, it wasn't too late for them to work things out?

Trunks lifted a trap door that led to a section of the vast basement. He remembered how Goten hated going down to the basement because of the large array of spiders decorating the ceiling.

He then descended the stone steps that stuck out into the darkened space below.

As soon as he was completely immersed in the basement, lights magically flickered on from hanging lamps in the rafters. The room he was in was low-ceilinged and made of dark stone. Along the left wall were wooden wine shelves holding countless dusty bottles of wine. On other shelves were expensive liquors.

There was a big silver metal door built into the back wall that led to the refrigerated alcohols. Trunks made a beeline for the door, and pulled the silver handle on it. The door opened, allowing fog to billow out in swirls, causing a spooky effect on the rest of the small wine cellar section.

Inside the refrigerator were countless frost-covered bottles of alcohol. Trunks' skin instantly rose into bumps upon entering the over-sized cubicle. He knew that his father was quite fond of his expensive alcohol collection, and even though he had an incredible number of different liquors, Vegeta would never let Trunks have any when asked. However, that didn't stop the teen from stealing from the collection from time to time, along with the fact that his father hadn't caught onto the thievery yet.

Not wanting to be in the cold for much longer, he quickly grabbed a bottle containing clear liquid and left the extremely-cold room.

As soon as he entered the kitchen once more, he noticed that he wasn't the room's only occupant. Seventeen was busy filling a glass full of water from the tap integrated into the double-door refrigerator.

The teen froze, remembering what he had just learned about the man from his father.

"Drinking alone?" The black-haired man asked in his amiable voice, glancing at Trunks' frosted bottle of alcohol.

Trunks remembered once more why he was in the kitchen in the first place. "Yeah," He said quietly, and walked over to one of the glass racks hanging below the cabinet. The teen chose a spindly bell-shaped glass which hung from its flat stand. He filled the glass halfway with the clear liquor, and tried to down as much of it as possible in one go.

"So it's true you've been having sex with my dad?" He asked once his glass was completely emptied. A part of him hoped he hadn't sounded too harsh, but the rest of him was too pissed off to care.

Seventeen leaned back against the refrigerator and raised his glass to his mouth, "I'd have thought you'd have it figured out by now."

Trunks felt a twinge of annoyance at the older man's lack of responsibility for what he has caused. "Is the same thing going on with Goku as well?" Instead of acting on his urge to start screaming, he busied himself by shakily pouring another generous amount of alcohol into his empty glass.

"Oh _absolutely_," Seventeen laughed. "There isn't a single doubt that those two are fucking."

The young half-saiyan felt sick to his stomach. What he was just told fully confirmed his suspicions. He was totally fine with knowing his father had a male ex (who currently resides at the castle, but is away on a job at a distant beach). However, he couldn't quite understand what his dad was _really _doing messing around with his best friends married father.

"I can't believe you let me kiss you knowing what you were doing with my father," The teen muttered angrily, already going for his third glass.

Seventeen's expression suddenly went blank. "Trust me, it could be worse," He said grimly.

Trunks scoffed, "As if, I can't think of anything that could be worse than that."

A strange quiet fell over the older man, and he seemed suddenly quite interested in the water in his glass. Trunks took advantage of the silence as his cue to leave. He gathered up his glass and alcohol and strode out of the room, unable to stand being in the same room as the person that was the object of his secret lust not even an hour before.

Elsewhere in the castle, Bulma was trying to steady herself. Her arms were stretched out in front of her as she took in deep gulping breaths of air. Vegeta, on the other hand, was already half-way across the room. His heavy footsteps were practically shaking the floor as he made his way over to the table where his amber-colored stress-reliever sat in a clear bottle.

"Fucking hell, Vegeta!" the woman panted as she finally gained enough control to stop wobbling. Her breaths still came a bit deeply, but at least she wasn't gasping for air anymore. "Was that necessary?"

"Your son wasn't going to go away, so I fixed the problem. As if it isn't bad enough that the boy now knows our dirty laundry," he snorted, filling his ever-present tumbler with liquid. "I should be asking what the hell is wrong with you." He lifted the glass to his mouth, letting the rim sit on his lips as he eyed his still-disoriented wife. When he received a glare, Vegeta tipped the glass up and swallowed the contents.

"I thought he'd already figured it out, since you've invited the slut to stay," Bulma spat, her arms crossing over her chest as she finally stood up straight. "He's a smart boy and no matter how secretive you are, I'm sure…."

"He hadn't," the man hissed. "Do you think I'm that idiotic? That I'd let something like this slip between the cracks, even in front of my own son?" He scoffed, setting the glass back down on the table before he could crush it in his hand.

Her blue eyes flicked with fire as her husband's voice rose as did both of their tempers. "Right, well, you sure didn't have a problem pushing Yamcha out as my boyfriend," she growled. "As if he'd wanna stay here, anyway."

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the bitter statement. His palm remained firmly on the tabletop as he reigned in his temper. "That much of a pussy, huh?" he sneered. "It's probably for the best, since Raditz would more than likely tear the man apart."

Bulma's head whipped back at the unfamiliar name. "Raditz? Who the fuck is that? Here you are rubbing shit in my face over Yamcha, and now you've got two complete strangers living under the same roof as my son?" her voice screeching by the end of her tirade.

"Raditz is another Saiyan. I was stationed with him and Nappa while in Frieza's army," he easily supplied the information.

"Oh, that's just great. Some guy you worked with—"

"Saiyan," Vegeta reminded, even though he knew she wasn't paying attention.

"—while under Frieza's command is now living here. So we've got a slut and a murderer walking around the hallways. I, in no way, will fear for my life while being here," she huffed out sarcastically.

He snapped after having had enough of her backtalk. His hand rose, only to slam back against the top, shaking the table and threatening the bottles and glasses to tip and bust. "This is my Goddamn castle!" he finally barked. "And I, may I remind you for the millionth time, am a Goddamn Legilimens!"

"I don't care!" She threw her arms to her sides, hands turning into fists as a growl built in her throat. "You have never been this reckless before! What if someone finds out, aside from Trunks? What if these other men go talking about things while they're not here?"

Vegeta only scoffed. "They've been here long enough that if they had talked to anyone about staying here, I think shit would have already hit the fan."

"Fine," she snapped back, turning her head to the side as her jaw clenched. "I don't give damn, and if your precious Ministry finds out about what's going on here." She threw a smirk in his direction. The man deserved to be caught; he was being too arrogant about his position, thinking he could get away with anything. "I've tried to be supportive and understanding—"

"Bull-fucking-shit," he muttered.

"—after our fall-out, but I can't stay here knowing what's going on behind my back."

"Oh, yes because seeing that ex-boyfriend of yours coming back around for the past two years was a pleasure for me." The Saiyan rolled his eyes again at his wife's stupidity. "And just where exactly will you be going?"

"I don't know," she said softly, her anger wilting. "I just need some time." _Time to adjust that my husband is obviously more attracted to men after spending years with me,_ she thought bitterly.

"Do whatever you want, just be sure to cover your trail."

Dry laughter spilled from her lips. "Right 'cause you're one to talk," she mocked before turning on her heels and leaving.

-8-

Feeling the swoon created by the generous amount of alcohol he had chugged in such a short amount of time, Trunks' angry trek down the hall turned into a sort of frustrated wobble.

"Maybe if I go wanderin' around the woods, a werewolf or somethin' might put me outta my misery," He sniffled pathetically. He spotted his door nearby and made his unsteady way toward it. "This situation sucks," He finished as his door responded to his familiar touch and opened for him.

The lights in the room automatically turned on to a comfortable dim level. Trunks' owl, Uno, slept peacefully in his cage.

Forgetting the glass he held loosely in his hand, he upturned the bottle. The taste didn't even affect him, being that he was already quite numb from drinking more than a third of the contents by himself.

He then stared hatefully out of his window in silence for a while. What was wrong with his family? They had money and power, why would they be so unhappy with each other? He simply couldn't accept that his parents had given up on each other after being together for almost twenty years. Everyone has problems that they work through, so why was it that two of the most driven and strong-hearted people couldn't fix their own marriage?

Suddenly, a soft knock on his door broke him from his reverie. Trunks was so upset and disoriented, that he didn't feel the ki of his own mother coming closer.

"Go the fuck away," Trunks said, "I don't have nothin' to say to you."

"Trunks, I just want to apologize to you," The woman insisted, "Please let me in."

The teen grumbled and set the bottle down on his desk. He nearly tripped on a pair of combat boots on his way to the door, which caused him to swear loudly. When he finally made it to the door, he opened it about two inches, so that he could peer at his mother, and make his point that she wasn't welcome. "Apology _not_ accepted," He muttered darkly. "Go the hell on somewhere." He tried to snap the door back shut, but a perfectly-manicured hand stopped the motion.

"I know you're upset, but you're not going to speak to me like that," Bulma warned, pushing the door all the way open to reveal her drunken son.

"What are you gonna do? Get your stupid boyfriend on me?" Trunks rolled his eyes, "I'll kick his goddamn ass if I ever see his sorry face again," the teen spat at his mother as he stood on wobbling legs.

Bulma lightly sniffed the air, and the smell of alcohol hit her nose. "That explains why you're so belligerent; Trunks, why have you been sneaking your father's liquor _again?_" _Like father like son,_ she angrily and begrudgingly admitted to herself a she remembered Vegeta's favorite escape route.

"_Don't change the subject Mom_!" The half-saiyan shouted, scaring his owl. The bird shrieked and flapped its great wings in anger. As for Trunks, the effort of the shout seemed to be too much, and the teen hiccupped and fell onto his ass on the bed. "Why do you and dad have to cheat on each other?" He shouted over the wing-flapping. "Why can't you fix it?"

"Your father and I are no longer attracted to each other," Bulma said simply once the bird calmed down. She said this believing that honesty was the best route in this case. Her son was a lot like Vegeta, even more-so when the boy was drunk, and therefore didn't like to be bullshitted with. Straight-forward was the best approach when dealing with either of them. "We have completely separate interests, and there is no connection between us anymore."

Trunks felt hot tears spring up in his eyes, but did nothing to stop them, "But why do you two still stay married? I don't understand..."

Bulma sat down next to her son, "You're only sixteen," She said gently, "Of course you're not going to understand the whole situation. Maybe one day, though. However, I am truly sorry that you got dragged in the middle of it."

"I'm not just some kid," Trunks sobbed, "I'm smart, and I'm going to be of age in November! Don't treat me like I'm s-stupid,"

"I'm not, really-"

"I can only imagine what Goten'll say when he finds out that-" Then he suddenly stopped. He almost blurted out about his suspicions concerning Goku and his father. Was now the right time to say such a thing?

"Trunks, I believe it's best to keep Goten out of our business," Bulma said firmly, misinterpreting Trunks' statement. "It's bad enough your father has two complete strangers living here around all of this magic, which is a breach to the Statute of Secrecy itself."

"But Raditz has magical blood in him," Trunks argued, no longer crying, "He was just never trained as a wizard."

"Alright, but what about the sl-your father's other friend?"

Trunks shrugged moodily, but said nothing more. He was still pissed that he had been used by that guy.

"Have either of them ever tried to get you to do something that you didn't want to do?" She asked in dead-seriousness.

Trunks shook his head. It wasn't a complete lie, the men had never had to pressure him into doing certain things. However, he didn't want his mother finding out that he had done drugs with them, especially Seventeen, who his mother seemed to feel the most animosity toward. Trunks' drug indulgences with Seventeen and Raditz had gone no further than snorting a Xanax bar _once, _and smoking weed, but that was still more than enough to cause his mother to go ballistic. Shit, if she even found out about the two occasions that he and Goten had smoked low-grade commercial marijuana, someone would have to come lock her up from the fit she'd have.

"Are you sure?"

"YES! I'm sure! Please stop botherin' me about it!" And with that, the teen started crying again. "Shut up, Uno," He mumbled when his started clicking his beak agitatedly.

Bulma had a sinking suspicion that Trunks wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't want to upset him any more than she already had. She still had to tell him that she was leaving again, and she knew that it wasn't going to go down very well.

"Trunks," the woman finally spoke again, after a few moments of awkward silence aside from Trunks' sniffling, "I can't vouch for your father; hell, I can't even begin to wonder what in the world he thinks he's doing, but please know that I love you. And I'm quite sure that deep down; your father loves you, too."

"Fat chance," Trunks scoffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Bulma sighed. She didn't think that she was going to have much luck with getting Trunks to believe her, or to see reason. After all, he had just been burdened with heavy news that most young people couldn't possibly begin to understand or cope with. He was already dealing with an awful lot, what with school and maintaining positive grades. She almost had to wonder if leaving was really worth the amount of stress it would bring the boy, being that he wasn't partial to being left alone with his father.

Still, the thought of being under the same roof as those strangers, especially the murderer, unnerved her greatly. Where she lacked severely in physical strength, she made up for with intellect. Still, one had to wonder how much intellect would work while being torn limb-from-limb by a savage Saiyan.

That's one thing she could say for Trunks; though he didn't like to, at least he could fight and go Super Saiyan if need be. Plus, when he turns seventeen in November, he would have magic at his disposal as well.

"I'm going to be gone for a little while," She finally said, and braced herself for the shouting that would ensue.

Trunks instantly stopped crying for the second time. "Didn't you just get the fuck back?" He asked in disbelief, "Why?

"I'm sorry, honey, I really am, but I really can't put up with the drama for much longer. As I said before, I don't know what's going through your father's head," _But something's not right._ She finished in her head.

"But where are you going? When will you be back?"

"I can't give you a definite answer," Bulma answered sadly. She hated the betrayed expression on her son's face, and she knew that there was no way that he was going to forgive her any time soon. Still, the damage was done. "Just know that I will be back before you go back to school in September. We can do something nice together when I get back, maybe we'll go to Diagon Alley together."

Trunks glared at his mother. "Whatever, Mom, just get the fuck outta here, alright? Go fucking run away to your fucking boyfriend. But don't you dare bring him around here, 'cause imma kill him."

Bulma stood up. "I'll see you later, then," she said. She told her son that she loved him, only to get snubbed rudely. Without saying anything else, she left the teen to his own devices.

Trunks watched the door clos gently behind his mother, and instantly broke down into a sloppy, crying mess. He had no one; his mother just abandoned him, his father didn't want to be around him, Seventeen was a traitor, Raditz was gone, and Goten probably hated his guts.

His breathing became a bit labored and he felt panicky. The effects of the alcohol made these reactions that much worse, though the realization that he was all alone, in itself, was enough to scare him. His watery eyes fell on a small box that sat upon his desk next to his laptop.

He grabbed the box shakily and slid the cardboard tray outward. Inside the tray was a small crowd of box-cutter blades. He chose one and slid the paper covering off of the sharp end. He eyed the shiny blade for a moment, turning it in his hand.

Trunks tucked his shirtsleeve back, leaned forward, and rested his left forearm, underside up, on his leg. There were numerous scars of various lengths and angles striped across the skin. Most of them looked superficial, but there were a few particularly dark, deeper-looking scars that stood out amongst the lighter ones.

He positioned the blade against his skin, slightly angled to the right, and slowly dragged it across in a downward-diagonal motion. His jaw dropped slightly at the sharp pain coursing through his arm; he was certain that the pain would be worse if he weren't drunk.

A high completely unrelated to the alcohol fell over the teen. He lazily dropped the blade onto the bed next to him and watched the crimson blood flow profusely out of the two-inch-long cut, around his wrist, and onto the floor. When the relaxing feelings subsided, he pressed a shirt that he had thrown onto the floor against the wound.

He stared numbly at the space before him; he hadn't had to resort to drastic methods in a while. Tears still flowed from his eyes, but he made no noise. He had to leave the castle, at least for a night. The only place he knew to go was Goten's.

He hoped, as he was climbing out of the window, that Goten would let him stay. They could work things out, he was sure. He wobbled on the edge of the window and let go, falling a few feet before realizing that he also needed to exert some flying energy.

Trunks let off a burst of energy, which propelled him in the air in the direction of Goten's house.

-8-

Thankful that they didn't use Secrecy Sensors or burglar alarms, Trunks quietly made his way out of the bamboo grove, and across the small, flat-grassed lawns.

He made it to Goten's bed room window. Even though Gohan was gone, and had the bigger bed room, Goten was much too lazy to move his stuff.

He peered inside through a small gap in the window's curtains. Hoping that neither of Goten's parents woke up, he tapped on the glass. The room's occupant stirred, but did nothing more. Trunks tried tapping once more, just a bit sharper than the last, but still quietly enough to hopefully not wake anyone else up.

Finally Goten's dark-brown eyes opened and stared directly at the window. It was creepy, like a scene from a horror film, as he looked in the direction of his window.

"Let me in," Trunks whispered through the glass.

Goten scrunched up his face in confusion. "Trunks? What are you doing here?" He mumbled, getting untangled from his bed-sheets and then going over to the window.

"Goten, I'm so sorry about earlier," The older half-saiyan whispered quickly through the thin glass. "Please let me in."

The younger half-saiyan opened the window and allowed Trunks to clumsily climb through. "Is that what you've come all the fucking way out here for? To apologize for _that?_" Goten rolled his dark brown eyes and laughed quietly. "Trunks, I forgot all about that shit by the time I came home."

Trunks' expression softened, and he pulled Goten into an embrace_. _"I'm so glad!"

"Jeez, Trunks, have you been drinking?" Goten pushed away from his boyfriend, and looked him up and down, as if there were a sign pinned on him that indicated that he was drunk.

"So what?" The older teen giggled happily, as the thoughts of loneliness left him after hearing Goten wasn't mad.

Goten merely rolled his eyes and steered Trunks over to the bed and sat him down. Trunks looked over at his boyfriend and gave a small smile, "I'm happy you've let me in," He said, "'cause there is another reason why I came out here tonight."

"The younger teen backed up a little, "Hey, don't go looking for sex here. I'm not gonna risk wakin' my parents up!"

"No, no, no," Trunks shook his head, "I'm not here to pull a stunt, I actually have something to tell you that's kinda important." He paused for a moment, as the overwhelming sadness came over him once more. "My parents're cheating on each other, and have been for a while, it seems." He blinked back tears, not wanting to break completely down in front of his boyfriend.

"Damn, that's fu-fu-fucked up," Goten said, yawning.

"And that's not all," The older half-saiyan continued, "I really think that our dad's are messing around with each other 'cause Seventeen told me they were."

"What makes you think that he's not just bull-shitting you just to be an ass? I mean, you did tell me that he liked to joke around and fuck with you."

Trunks huffed angrily. So the _bastard _was toying with him in the garden. He leaned back against the pillows on the bed and stared moodily at the dark ceiling. He didn't realize how tired he was until he actually laid there. Just the flight there alone was exhausting, but at the time he was too emotional to notice.

"And I'm not going to believe something that silly unless I see it for myself." Goten finished, laying next to Trunks, "But, for real, I'm very sorry that you have to deal with this bullshit with your family." He slipped his arm around the surly teen's middle, "Wanna spoon? It'll make you feel better."

He received no response, so he pulled the body closer to him so that his chest was touching Trunks' back. He raised himself onto his elbow and leaned over, almost lying on Trunks. "I love you," He whispered, gently brushing strands of lavender hair out of his lover's face. Doing this revealed that the teen was already asleep.

Light from the flood-lamps outside shone across the older half-saiyan's face; his arms were bent outward. Goten wondered what Trunks was doing wearing long sleeves as hot as its been, until a darkened stain at the end of the left sleeve caught his attention.

A small gasp escaped his lips upon tugging the sleeve back, which was kind of stuck to Trunks' arm where the stain was, making the older teen whimper a bit in his sleep. He couldn't believe that things had gotten so bad at the castle that Trunks had to resort to self-mutilation. He looked sadly back at the older boy's face, wishing that there was something he could do to help.

-8-

"Where are you going, Goku?" Chi-Chi asked her husband later that morning.

The saiyan laughed nervously, "Just to Vegeta's, he wants to hang out."

"Well you're not going anywhere," The woman said plainly. "There's some work that needs to be done around the house, and you and your son are going to help me." She began filling the sink with water, before once again glancing at her husband. "Speaking of Goten, I want you to wake him up."

Goku sighed and rolled his eyes once Chi-Chi was out of his face. He hung out with Vegeta the day before, but it had been a few days since they'd been able to do more than just the usual—meaning, they hadn't been able to get the privacy they needed to have sex. Maybe if he and Goten work quickly, then he could still go.

Doing as his wife asked, he walked down the hall to Goten's room. He had been too busy worrying over Chi-Chi that he failed to notice the extra ki in the house. Without knocking, he opened the door, revealing his son's poster-covered room. He tapped on his son's shoulder, and the boy's eyes fluttered open.

Upon realizing who had just woke him, his eyes widened and he sat bolt upright. "We didn't do anything we weren't supposed to!" He said quickly in his defense. "H-he was just stayin' over." Goten stumbled as he glanced over at his bed partner.

Trunks, slowest to rise, stirred and then also opened his eyes. "What happened?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes. The instantaneous effects of a hangover hit him, making his head throb horribly. He groaned and held his hand over his eyes. He also felt a painful throb coming from his arm, and a strong urge to scratch at his wrist.

"What you guys did is your business," Goku said. "Still, you know that your mom will be upset if she found out that Trunks was over here without permission, so he'll have to leave for now." He paused, giving the boys time to adjust and wake up more. "She also wants you up for housework. So if you want to hang out at Vegeta's, I suggest we move quickly so we can get this stuff done," Goku suggested a bit too eagerly before disappearing from the room, intent on getting the chores started.

"He seemed to be pretty dead-set about being quick to go the castle," Trunks stated observantly.

"Oh, Trunks, don't start that shit again," Goten groaned. "He just don't wanna be on Mom's shit-list."

"Well, then, we're just gonna have to spy on them," The older half-saiyan said simply. He then sat up, and held his head in his hands, swearing under his breath.

"You know what?" Goten asked, "I'll come over later with dad, and we'll spy on them, alright? Just so you'll shut up about it." There was no way he could believe his father was doing anything than sparring and generally annoying the older Saiyan.

"And you'll see just how right I am," Trunks smiled, and slowly got off of the bed. He walked deliberately over to the window, where Goten followed him.

He leaned forward and tried to kiss his boyfriend, but Goten held a hand up to stop him. "I'll kiss you after you don't taste like damn stale booze." The dark-haired boy said as he leaned his body away from the older's face.

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Fine, but you owe me." He then looked out of the window to see if anyone would see. When everything was clear, he climbed out of the opening and took off.


	5. Saiyan Legacy

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, Harry Potter, or the creature "borrowed" from The Chronicles of the Black Company.**

It was early evening, almost dinnertime, and Goku found himself alone in the castle's kitchen. He'd hurried through the housework Chi-chi had given him, all so he could finally get some much needed time alone with Vegeta, only to have said man called away. That had been two hours ago, and the older still had yet to return. Of course, he'd been warned that Vegeta might be gone all night, and he'd thought briefly about returning home. That kind of thinking only lasted about five minute, though, as he'd rather wander the castle halls then return home.

Who knew what else his wife had in mind. He'd already been through one list, and he had to beg Chi-chi to let him take a break and come over for the evening. So Goku was pretty sure he'd made the right decision in staying here at the castle and exploring. Granted, he had to keep in mind that he wasn't allowed to go in certain rooms and touch the magical objects, but there was still plenty of things that he could do in a place this big.

Plus, there was an outdoor garden that he enjoyed walking through and looking at all the different flowers. Sometimes he would sit and watch the bugs that inhibited the area. Butterflies, beetles, ants, and all other varieties of creatures could easily be spotted if a person looked hard enough. If that wasn't enough to catch his interest, there was also a forest not too far away. The wooded area was a bit more dark and dank than the woods that surrounded his house, but that only meant that there might be much more interesting animals, magical and non-magical, roaming around. He'd never seen anything go in or come out of the forest, but ever since he'd visited the castle, Goku's natural curiosity pulled at him.

He'd been meaning to question Vegeta about the wooded area, but they'd been so busy sparring and, more recently, using their non-sparring time for much more pleasurable activities. Goku felt an unconscious blush rise to his cheeks at the mere thought of being intimate with the older Saiyan. By now the blush was unnecessary, but things were still new to the young Saiyan. He'd never been nor wanted to be so intimate with another man. There was also the fact that both he and Vegeta were married men, granted Vegeta's marriage has been strictly for political reasons the last few years.

Goku closed his eyes for a brief moment before pushing himself up and heading over to the fridge. He'd been sitting at the counter, for he didn't know how long, just going over everything that's happened in the last few weeks. Mostly things revolving around this newfound...whatever he and Vegeta were—friends with benefits, as the older man had put it. However, there were also the occasional thoughts of Chi-chi and his sons. What would happen if or when they found out? He was hoping Goten would take the news fairly easy since the youngest boy seemed to be in a relationship with Vegeta's son.

Just as he opened the door to the refrigerator, he picked up the sound of a suppressed cough. He glared at the source of the noise: the kitchen's entrance. He had not felt any other ki signatures the entire time he was in the room, so he had no clue as to who might be trying to sneak up on him.

The only person he knew of in the castle that _wouldn't _be sneaking up on him was his brother, Raditz. Raditz didn't know how to read ki, or suppress his own, for that matter. He knew he could only wish that it was Vegeta, but he knew the other Saiyan would play such a trick nor let anything slip to let the younger Saiyan know he was hiding. So, with a sigh, Goku closed the door and focused solely on the area where the cough had come from.

"Trunks, Goten," he finally called out, hoping the culprit(s) would come out from hiding. He heard a bit of cloth rustling together before his son appeared, and no Trunks. Usually when the boys were up to something they always seemed to travel together, yet here was Goten. Unless Trunks had taken off without his knowing.

Goten gave a nervous smile as he approached his father. "What's up, Dad? Did you need something?"

Goku's eyes narrowed only enough to set a curious look on his face. "What were you doing hiding behind the door?"

"Nothing," the teen held his hands up in defense, "And why are you still here? Vegeta's not home, he's at some sort of charity banquet, or whatever Trunks called it."

Goku looked a bit puzzled, "He didn't tell me that,"

Goten's eyes narrowed slightly, "Why would he tell _you?_"

The older saiyan realized that he might have just said something incriminating, and nervous laughter escaped his lips. "H-he tells me lots of...s-stuff..."

"Uh-huh," Goten said slowly, narrowing his eyes further, "Maybe...Trunks is right..."

"About what?" Goku tried to keep his expression indifferent, but felt as if he were failing miserably. He certainly wished that he were as good as keeping a straight face as Vegeta.

The teen frowned and shrugged, "Nothing," He lied. He still found it hard to believe that his father was having an affair with Vegeta, or even be attracted to men. It was obvious, though, that his father was quite fond of Trunks' father. His reactions to the questions, and just the fact that he's sticking around was evidence enough.

Still, Trunks would love to hear what he had to say. "Well, have fun doing whatever it is you're doing." He said and turned away. He walked across the dining hall and stepped out onto the gardens through the huge glass door that mimicked the one in the main hall.

Trunks sat inside the gazebo, which was covered in lights, that stood in the center of this particular garden. Surrounding it were alternating bushes of red and white roses. Where the other garden was full of cool-colored plants, this one was alive with plants of vibrant colors.

"Did you find out anything?" The older teen asked.

Goten stepped under the lit-up wooden structure. "Well Dad didn't say anything directly, but he's certainly acting funny."

-0-

It was midnight by the time Vegeta agitatedly landed on the castle grounds dressed in his best suit. The charity banquet ended up turning into an all-out party as time passed and more champagne was consumed.

"I knew you'd be here," The prince smirked upon seeing Goku waiting for him in the foyer.

"Y'didn't tell me that you were going out," The younger saiyan pouted.

"Do I have to report to you now?" Vegeta chuckled, "What are we, a married couple?"

Goku's face flushed, and he turned his head suspiciously toward the different entrances in the foyer. They had been acting funny for a portion of the night, what with sneaking up on him, or staring blankly up at the sky. Then, a few hours ago, they couldn't be felt, or seen at all. This made Goku suspicious.

"Those two are gone; Trunks sent me a message at nine telling me he was going to a Booster Draft." Then a roguish grin spread across his face. He didn't have much to drink at the banquet, but what he did have made him more feisty.

"Come with me," He said and practically dragged Goku across the wide room and into the broom closet.

It was an extremely tight fit in the otherwise spacious closet, what with all the boxes and cleaning supplies taking up majority of the standing space. It was a miracle that Vegeta managed to get the door shut behind them.

Goku grunted as Vegeta roughly pushed up against him, which made the group of brooms and mop handles dig awkwardly into his back and shoulder blades. "What're you-?"

"Just keep your mouth shut," Vegeta ordered and roughly pushed his mouth to Goku's. Goku awkwardly placed his arms (the corner of a box stuck painfully into his right one) around the prince's waist, and parted his lips to allow an insistent tongue to enter his mouth.

The amount of friction that the two bodies created made the small space heat up in no time. "Its hot," Goku panted once they broke apart.

"Get used to it," Vegeta said, quickly unbuttoning and unzipping the younger Saiyan's jeans, "It's only going to get worse." He let the pants fall, and then did the same for himself.

The younger half-saiyan felt the older's right thigh slip upward against his left, "Vegeta, how're we...?"

"_Don't _turn me off with your inane questioning," The prince growled and guided his lover's left hand to grip his thigh. "I want you to _fuck_ me, not run your mouth."

Something animalistic woke up inside Goku at Vegeta's sordid words. He hungrily ravaged the older-saiyan's mouth, and the gesture was eagerly returned. He hitched Vegeta's leg up higher so that it was hooked around his hip and positioned himself, entering shortly afterward.

Vegeta gave a muffled groan and tightened his grip on Goku's shoulders. at the sudden, rough intrusion. He was grateful that his body was able to handle large amounts of pain.

"Did I hurt you?" Goku asked, ceasing his back and forth motions.

The prince said nothing and held a hand over the other Saiyan's mouth. "Shut up and keep going," He growled out, displaying his insistency by tapping on the hand wrapped around his length.

Goku lifted Vegeta up even further, which caused Vegeta to raise up onto his toes. The heel on the foot that barely touched the floor got hooked on the handle of a small bucket. He tried discreetly to be rid of the damned thing, but it only resulted in awkward, and unsexy rattling noises.

-8-

"Its a fucking shame we lost to those basement-dwellers," Goten pouted when he and Trunks landed on the lawns shortly after midnight, "I spent my entire allowance on that stupid tournament."

"Don't be a baby," Trunks scoffed, "I'll give you money."

"I don't need your damn charity," The younger teen huffed and strode past the older up the wide steps to the castle door.

"Well don't be too sad." Trunks reasoned, "Your fifteen-dollar deck versus a three-hundred-dollar deck isn't a fair challenge to begin with. And, hey," He placed a hand on Goten's shoulder before he could step inside, "At least you won _a few _rounds." He ended his encouraging statement with a wide smile.

"You're not getting in my pants, Trunks, so quit trying to be nice, and admit that we suck," Goten, still moody, said flatly. With that, he stormed into the castle.

They had decided that trying to trail Goku was a waste of time, and wanted to get out of the house. There was a Booster Draft happening at the comic store in Grifton, the nearby town, so Trunks and Goten cockily participated, only to get their asses handed to them by the local gamers. This did not sit well with Goten at all.

Trunks rushed to catch up with his boyfriend, "I didn't mean it like that," He said sincerely, "I was just-" He was suddenly hushed by Goten, who was now standing in the middle of the foyer with his hand held up, as if he were listening intently.

"Do you hear that?" He questioned lowly.

The older teen paused and listened. Muffled grunts were coming from the broom closet nearby, and oddly-fluxuating kis were sensed.

"Maybe one of the servants is stuck?" Goten suggested. The kis were fluctuating so badly, that it was hard to pin-point who they belonged to.

"Oh, someone's stuck alright," Trunks grinned and strode over to the cupboard door. He turned the knob, which was not locked, and pulled the door open. There, four pairs of eyes stared wildly at one another. Goten's jaw seemed to plummet, Trunks looked as if he wanted to disappear into the floor, and both adults seemed to be in shock of being caught. Upon seeing what was going on behind the door, the teen promptly slammed the door back.

As if to validate whether the lurid scene behind the door was a hallucination, and not real, he opened the door once more. "AW, SHIT!" He hollered and slammed the door once more. "Let's dip the fuck out!" He insisted, snatching on his dazed boyfriend's arm.

They quickly flew all the way to the edge of the forest, wanting to get as much distance between themselves and their fathers as possible. All was quiet, except for the sounds of tree leaves in the breeze from the pitch-black forest next to them. The sinister void-like appearance of the forest was quite as unnerving as the scandal that they had just walked in on mere moments before.

"Holy fucking shit, I knew it!" Trunks exclaimed, "Didn't I fucking tell you?"

"Th-that had to be a-a fucking t-trick or somethin'," Goten said shakily, "T-that can'tve happened."

"Are you fucking blind? Of course it did! That was _your _dad plowing _my _dad!"

"I'm g-gonna be sick," The younger half-saiyan muttered, and promptly spilled his inner contents onto the dewy lawn. Somewhere nearby, an owl hooted its disapproval. "I can't believe it..." He muttered, breathing heavily. He tried to straighten himself up, but his stomach lurched once more, and he promptly doubled over with another bout of vomiting.

"And I hardly doubt our mothers know," Trunks grumbled, ignoring Goten's continued retching.

"What are we gonna do?" Goten asked a few moments later in horrified whisper. Tears sprung up in his eyes; his father was a good person, he would _never _forsake his family by selfishly succuming to adultery. He simply could not believe what he had just seen.

-8-

Both adults panted heavily as Vegeta was lowered back to the floor. The older man rested a hand against the younger's chest, since his legs were still a bit shaky.

"SHIT!" The curse easily filled the tiny room as it bounced off the walls and various boxes. "God damn brats," Vegeta muttered as he finally regained his composure and breathing. He looked up at his partner, seeing the horrified look on the taller man's face.

"I," the word was squeezed up and out of the taller man's throat. His mouth remained ajar and his eyes unblinking as Goku continued to look at the closed door. A hard smack to his cheek, however, had his head twisting to the side and his eyes going wider before finally blinking. A hand reached up to rub at the burning flesh as he looked down on the angry prince.

"Fucking hell, Kakarot, get a hold of yourself," the shorter man growled. Vegeta was already pulling his pants back on and fixing his shirt.

"But, I," Goku stumbled over the words again as he only watched the other Saiyan.

"We need to find those damn idiots now before they decide to share the news with their mothers or anyone else they happen to see," the prince spit as he reached for the doorknob. "So either you can stand there like an idiot yourself or follow me to make sure I don't kill those two."

Within a matter of seconds Goku had pulled up his pants and was adjusting his shirt as he exited the small closet with his lover.

Never before has Goku ever experienced such shame and embarrassment. How was he going to face his son now? How was he going to explain what he was just caught doing? Should he apologize? The countless questions seemed to reel quickly in his confused mind. He could only imagine what someone as important as Vegeta was going to do to smooth everything over.

And what _if _they run their mouths to Chi-Chi and Bulma? What kind of magic did he have to perform to explain his affair to his naturally-suspicious wife? And with Bulma and Vegeta's high-profile social statuses, how were they going to keep the media out of it?

"What are we going to say to them?" Goku asked quietly, wanting more and more to just turn and bolt. He could handle pressure when it came to playing hero, but not when it came to being a responsible adult in the real world.

"The fuck if I know!" Vegeta bellowed, completely unnerved, "I just know that those two better keep their mouths shut, if they know what's good for them!"

Goku sighed pathetically and slowed his pace. He honestly didn't want to be present when almighty Vegeta brought down the lightning upon their two sons. It was so like the prince to want to justify that what he was caught doing was perfectly fine, and that Trunks and Goten were wrong for snooping around.

It was easy to tell two things, especially when walking out onto the lawns: that the boys were lurking around the edge of the forest at the edge of the castle grounds, and that Goten was in some sort of emotional distress. Trunks was smart to keep his ki low, but Goten's felt distraught and jumped wildly.

Both saiyans, with Goku a good distance behind, flew toward the fluctuating ki. Vegeta knew that the boys were merely trying to get far from the crime scene, and not trying to run away.

"Dad?" Trunks asked upon seeing his father's figure fly up and land, silhouetted, before him and Goten. Goten's sniffling ceased at once.

"Didn't fly out far enough, did you?" Vegeta sneered.

"Shut the fuck up, dad; just go the hell on somewhere!" The older teen ground out, feeling a wave of anger pulse through him at the sound of his father's voice. It was bad enough seeing him _with _his best friend's father, but seeing the bastard act as if nothing happened made him murderous.

"No," Vegeta responded plainly. "You're going to stay here and listen to what the fuck I have to say." He glared at Goten's tear-stained face, "Both of you."

Goten started to shake at the sight of the prince. He wasn't going to let this bastard tell him what to do. He took a step backward, then another; suddenly, a long-fingered hand gripped his wrist, which stopped his backward movements.

"Calm down," Trunks said soothingly, looking sadly at the younger teen. Both boys gazes suddenly switched to a second silhouette: Goku. The second-oldest Saiyan stayed quiet as he stepped up to the group.

His apologetic stare met his son's. The split-second connection was all it took for Goten to go off. His face contorted into a scowl and hot tears sprung up in his eyes. His ki flared dangerously, spiking to a high level-as if his life were at stake. He snatched his hand from Trunks' grasp, turned and ran into the woods at top speed. He wanted to get away from his father as fast as he could.

The quiet darkness fell around him suddenly, as if he were blindfolded and someone held their hands over his ears. Goten's pace slowed to a jog, then to a walk. His heart-rate slowed as well, and his breathing became heavy.

His eyes began to adjust to his surroundings. He could barely make out the outlines of the surrounding trees, even with his heightened Saiyan senses. He whipped around and found that he could not see the lights of the castle. He had no clue how far in he went, due to how fast he was running, nor could he remember what direction he came from.

Trunks always warned him about the dangers of the woods. Even as children, they knew better than to wander around the forest, despite how mischievous they could be. Trunks told him that there were creatures far worse than just wolves and bears hidden in the forest's vastness.

There was a reason why the forest was named Musta Kuolema, or _black death_; the magical creatures that resided there were quite deadly. There were also quite a few that could not be defeated by mere power and physical strength alone.

Goten didn't believe it, but Trunks reckoned that the creatures here could be more deadly than the ones in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

Still, being alone in the dark forest was not good for Goten's already shot nerves. His rationality and common sense seemed to have flown out the window like his respect for his father.

A twig snapped nearby, and Goten became still. "Trunks?" he asked feebly. A low, sinister growl was his answer. His breath hitched in his throat as he quickly patted himself down for his wand.

"Fuck!" he spat; he didn't have his wand. Then, quick as lightning, he felt the creature leap past him. The beast had to be at least a six-feet-long, well-muscled, compact animal from the amount of energy and power it exerted.

"H-ho, shit," Goten stammered. He fired a blast of ki in the animal's direction. The attack narrowly missed it, but lit the creature up well enough for the half-Saiyan to identify what it was. He gasped and stumbled onto his back; the monster before him was none other than a pitch-black, red eyed, undead were-leopard.

The proper term for such a diabolical creature is the _forvalaka_. The forvalaka is known for being an extremely deadly, and particularly messy killer. If given enough time with their kill, they drain all the blood and take the heart and liver. It is considered a Class Five creature in the Ministry of Magic archives, therefore highly dangerous to anyone. Only magic can destroy an undead creature, so his ki blasts were virtually useless.

The creature pounced, and Goten rolled, narrowly missing being crushed by two-hundred pounds of muscle. He did, however manage to get slashed across his shoulder by giant, filthy claws.

Goten swore aloud, and dodged the panther a second time. He fired another ki blast, if not to hit the creature, but at least to see where it was. Just as he fired, he managed to hit the animal straight in the face. This stunned the cat and Goten was able to jump to his feet. He formed a ball of ki in his palm and held it out, as if it were a flashlight, and quickly whipped around. The forvalaka was out-of-sight.

"Oh, god..." The teen whimpered. The stealthy panther was fucking with him, probably prowling the perimeter of his standing space, waiting for the chase to begin. Goten stepped backward, crushing a pinecone loudly under his foot.

A low growl resonated through the trees once more. Almost as if his body acted on its own, he ran deeper into the woods, the ball of ki lighting his way. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of heavy paws against the thick bed of leaves increasing in rhythm. He gasped aloud, he was going to be minced meat for sure!

He hollered in fright as he ran through a sticky spider web. Though he shared a love for animals like his brother and father, he hell-hated spiders. Especially spiders that he couldn't see. Now he was running for his life through a demented forest, chased by a wild undead panther, and covered in a disgusting web.

The panther snarled impatiently and swiped its claw-beared paw at Goten's leg, tripping him, and causing his light of ki to diminish. Dirt and leaves filled his mouth as he hit the ground roughly. He groaned loudly as the weight of the big cat pressed him further into the ground. Claws dug painfully into his back, and he felt the creatures hot, foul breath against his neck and hair.

The beast opened its great mouth and closed it around the half-Saiyan's wounded shoulder. A cry of pain escaped the teen's mouth as he felt warm blood pour sickly from the puncture wounds; his bones crushed between strong jaws. He knew he was done for. He was going to be torn limb-from-limb by this horrid monster.

Suddenly, as if some ethereal vision were being played before him, a figure, silhouetted by a bright light coming from some unknown origin, stood a good distance away from him and the panther. The undead monster took little heed of this, and proceeded to pull painfully on the shoulder clamped in its disgusting mouth, trying to rip the appendage from its socket.

"_INCENDIO!" _The silhouette's owner cried, and flames erupted from the person, covering the panther. Fire was an undead creature's worst enemy. The animal howled in pain, and dashed off, definitely giving Goten up as a bad job.

The fire seemed to not have had an effect on the injured half-Saiyan, save for the heat he felt from the spell.

"It's okay, Goten," Came the familiar and soothing voice of Trunks. Goten's blurred vision was filled with his lover's face, and he could feel the long hair against his skin, "I'm going to help you."

The last thing the younger teen saw was the smile of his hero.

-8-

Goten blinked slowly, his vision was blurred, but quickly adjusted. He looked up at the ceiling, and noted that he was once more in the castle. He went to turn his head, but the action was met with much pain.

"How do you feel?" Trunks asked, suddenly taking up his vision, "You were out for a while, but I couldn't sleep not knowing when you'd wake up."

"Wha' time izzit?" The younger teen groaned, trying to turn his head to look out of the window. Outside, a faint pink streak lit up the horizon.

"It's six-thirty in the morning," Came the answer. "And please don't try to get up," The older teen insisted, gently placing a hand easily on the uninjured shoulder and pushed the body back onto the bed. "You really scared me, Goten." Cerulean eyes met with dark umber ones.

"Everything's so fucked up, Trunks," Goten replied hoarsely; he must have done a lot of yelling in the forest. He could feel shameful tears well up in his eyes, but after everything he had been through, he deserved to cry. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know," Trunks replied in a dead tone. He moved closer to his lover on the bed and clasped his hands firmly in his lap. His nerves were completely shot, as well as Goten's. His sad eyes took in the younger half-Saiyan's wounds. He had a huge square bandage taking up the right side of his face; his whole shoulder was covered in bandages; his arms were covered in scratches, and his entire calf was wrapped up.

"I hate that this happened to you," The older teen finally said. "Why did you have to run into the forest? Your mother's going to flip! Your dad already left here, so he probably told her!" His voice rose with every sentence, and he quickly caught himself. "I'm sorry," He muttered, "I was just scared for you."

"I'm sorry," Goten responded, tears trailing down the corners of his eyes and into his hair, as he was flat on his back, "I know what I did was..._stupid_, but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to be around my dad, and I still don't." Upon recalling the exact reason why he didn't want to be around his father, he let out a small sob, and sniffed loudly.

"Please, don't cry, Goten," Trunks pleaded, "I hate seeing you cry." He bent down and gingerly held his boyfriend in an awkward hug.

The loving gesture only made the injured teen cry in earnest. He loosely wrapped his arms around Trunks' neck and sobbed pathetically. He had no clue as to exactly why he was taking this news of his father's adultery so hard. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that now that there was no imminent threat, and Goku didn't have to fight, Goten was able to get to know his father , who was absent for the first seven years of his life and have a normal family. Now, however, Goku was betraying his wedding vows and cheating on Chi-Chi with another married man. Another married man who happened to be his best friend and boyfriend's father.

The very thought disgusted him. The only reason anyone cheats is because of discord in their marriage. How could things have gotten so bad? Goten couldn't think of a single screaming match between his father and mother. Were they just that good at hiding their fights? What in the world was going on?

The questions flooded his mind as Trunks began kissing the edge of his jaw-line. _What was so great about Vegeta, anyhow? _A pair of teeth gently grazed his bottom lip, _Weren't Dad and Vegeta enemies? _His breath hitched at the tickling feeling of cool hair-tips brushing against his bare chest_. _"Trunks..." He whispered, feeling his lover's warm lips press against the flesh right above his navel.

"Yes...?"

"I think I'm-"

Suddenly, a whirring sound was heard from Trunks' computer desk. Goten quickly turned his head in the direction of the noise, and Trunks lifted his head toward it.

"It's your phone," He said, and handed the younger teen his phone that miraculously didn't get damaged in the forest.

"It's mom," He said curiously, then answered it.

"Why didn't you come home with your father?" The enraged woman shrieked. Goten, as with anyone else who talks to her on the phone, held the device a few inches from his ear.

"I wanted to stay with Trunks," Goten said. "I didn't think it was a big deal," He mumbled the last part.

"_What was that?"_

"I said I-DIDN'T-THINK-IT-WAS-A-BIG-DEAL! Gosh..."

"DON'T YOU SCREAM AT ME LIKE THAT, MISTER!"

Goten sighed heavily, "Whatever, Mom," _You're the one screaming now, _He thought out.

"I don't know where you're getting this sudden, horrid attitude, Goten, but we will deal with it when you come home! Which is going to be _NOW!_"

"Seriously? It's fuck-it's _six-thirty!_ Let me sleep some more and then-"

"NOW!"

The newly-enraged teen huffed loudly and hung up on his mother. He didn't know why he was taking his anger at his father out on his mother. She was just an innocent victim in his eyes. Still, he didn't want to go where his father was.

"Mom wants me home," He groaned, laying back down all of the way.

"Just don't go," Trunks said simply, "What's she gonna do? Besides, you're in no fit state to go flying around such a long distance."

"She's gonna fucking kill me!" Goten said, and then groaning into a sitting position. "And when she sees the state of me, she'll kill your dad!"

"Why my dad?"

"Because he's supposed to be the responsible adult or whatever," The younger teen gritted his teeth from the sharp pain caused by the claw-inflicted wounds on his back, which were covered in bandages. "_Fuck,_ and now I need to go home before any of this shit actually happens." He stood straight up and rubbed his eyes. "Where's my fuckin' shirt?" He asked, looking around on the floor.

"The forvalaka ruined it," Trunks said quietly, "But I'll give you one of mine."

Goten agreed, and slipped on one of his boyfriend's larger shirts. He walked over to the window and opened it. "I'll see ya," He said solemnly.

"Wait, let me see you later on today!" The older said quickly, joining Goten beside the window. A chill morning breeze blew in from the opening. The sun was a bit higher now, causing the clouds to turn orange instead of pink. A thin fog covered the deep green ground below.

"Fine, just let me smooth things out with Mom first, and _hopefully_ get some more sleep in."

-0-

Bulma tapped her nails impatiently on the counter in Yamcha's kitchen. It was late in the afternoon, and she was still exhausted from the previous nights activities. "Not again," She said firmly, mostly to herself.

"What's wrong?" Yamcha asked, leaning over the same counter, then yawning. "I thought you liked Turles and his band."

The blue-haired woman sighed, "Its not _them _its their _lifestyle!_ I don't mind going out and partying at all, Yamcha, its just that I simply cannot keep up with the rock-star lifestyle. I can't stay up till four in the morning every night, and they're talking about hanging out _again tonight?_ No way."

"But, Bulma, they're leaving for Germany at the end of the summer,"

"I don't care. If you want to hang out with someone, choose a _real _friend like Goku, not his look-alike."

Yamcha's face fell a little. "Every time I try to phone him he's busy with Vegeta. Of course he invites me to hang out, but you know how Vegeta and I feel about each other..."

"Well, we've been out partying for the past three nights. I don't mind the drinking and devil-music, but the drugs and groupies? That's where I draw the line."

"Its not devil-music..." Yamcha mumbled, "And if you don't wanna go, then I'll go by myself."

Bulma slammed her fist down on the counter. "Dammit, Yamcha! You're making shit very hard for me, you know! I come here hoping that I can get some peace away from Vegeta's craziness, but I get drawn up in some more craziness! YOUR craziness!"

Yamcha flinched at Bulma's voice. "I'm sorry, Bulma, really, but I am not going to halt my entire life just for you. Its not like that anymore. And I hate what Vegeta is doing to you, but aren't you kind of doing the same to him with me?"

Bulma folded her arms across her chest and shrugged, looking away, much like a spoiled child would. What was with everyone and going crazy around her? Wasn't it bad enough that her husband had switched teams, and now Yamcha-the only person who she thought she could depend on-was acting like a college freshman!

She was honest when she said she didn't mind partying, but ever since she had started staying with Yamcha three nights ago, that's all she and he did. The crowd that her current lover decided to associate himself with, in her opinion, was a bunch of immature, arrogant, loud-mouthed spoiled brats.

When she heard the word "party", she immediately imagined _adults_ with class-drinking socially and dancing to music with _rhythm. _Instead, she was pretty much thrown into a hurricane of chaos.

The five band-mates of the death-metal group, Totenstarre, partied _hard. _Drugs were passed around on an eighteen-inch cymbal, like some sort of crude communion tray, only instead of putting something in it, you inhaled, smoked, swallowed or injected the contents. Bulma was particularly adamant about staying drug-free, and made sure to give Yamcha plenty of hateful looks as he partook of the mind-altering substance.

"Its just for fun!" He'd reassure her, but her mind still didn't change.

Along with the drugs, alcohol was consumed. And the more that was ingested, the wilder the party became. Multiple times, she had to remind a band member that she was with Yamcha, and no, he wouldn't like to share. That was another thing that got on her nerves: groupies galore; both men and women. Yamcha definitely didn't shy away from indulging in his vice of flirting; unfortunately, Bulma could do nothing to stop this, as they weren't a couple (a fact that she had to continually remind herself of).

All in all, she honestly couldn't see what Yamcha saw in this rowdy bunch. She didn't even know that the guy was into that type of music. Maybe they let in a bit of the excitement he missed when he used to fight all the time? Who knows? Still, she could definitely tell that there was something off with this Turles fellow. Why would he suddenly want Yamcha, a regular guy, not a celebrity, to hang out with him?

"Also, there's one other thing that I've been meaning to ask you," Yamcha said, suddenly scaring Bulma out of her thoughts. "Do you think that there's something up with Goku and Vegeta?"

Bulma blinked, "Do what, now? Something between Vege-that's crazy, Yamcha, why would you say something like that?"

"I dunno..." Yamcha scratched his chin thoughtfully with the tip of his finger, "It just seems kinda funny that Goku spends more time at the castle than at home with his kid and wife."

"I do admit that Goku does spend a lot of time out at the castle, but I highly doubt that something's going on." She gave a skeptical sort of chuckle and shook her head. "You really are full of it, aren't you?"

It was Yamcha's turn to slam his fist upon the surface of the counter. "You don't find it strange at all? Vegeta is having an open affair with _another guy! _And Goku just so happens to be around an awful lot; I don't think that its a coincidence at all-"

"You know what? Just stop right there. I've had enough of the bull-shit over the past couple of days. Actually, its been like this for a while." She paused for a moment while glaring angrily at the man before her. "I'm leaving."

-0-

Goten and Trunks hung out in Goten's yard together late that afternoon. It took a lot of convincing on Goten's part, but Chi-Chi finally gave in and allowed the older boy over. Of course, this wish wasn't granted for nothing. According to Chi-Chi, since Goten was obviously well enough to have his boyfriend over, then he was well enough to do the page-worth of chores set for him.

He didn't specify what exactly wounded him to his mother. The only thing he told her was that he and Trunks were sparring and he fell out of the sky. And as much as he hated to mention it, he also told her not to fuss, because his father came home in worse shape thanks to Vegeta's abuse.

Still, that didn't settle her worries. She continued to inquire as to why he had to be out so late without permission, and why he and Trunks just decided to start fighting when they hadn't done that sort of thing since they were kids.

Thankfully, though, she gave up her inquiry and let her son sleep. And with the promise that they'd stay either outside or in the living room, Goten was able to have Trunks over.

"This really sucks balls," Trunks whined, leaning against the pole of the clothes line that stretched across the yard.

"I know," Goten sighed his reply. He honestly didn't like his mother treating him like a untrustworthy child, but after all he had done to get Trunks over there, the whining was getting on his nerves more than his mother's mistrust. They could pretty much hang out like they normally would, they just couldn't get physical. Personally, he could go without the physicality for once, whereas Trunks looked like he was going to explode from lack of mouth-to-mouth contact.

Trunks pushed himself off of the pole and sat on the ground next to Goten. "I had an idea that I thought about after you left early this morning,"

"What's that?" The younger teen replied, staring blankly at the ground and tugging grass from it.

The older half-saiyan was grateful for the lack of eye-contact, for what he had so say was rather disconcerting to him. "I was wondering...if you would like to perform the Unbreakable Vow with me?" He let out a loud breath, as if what he said was exhausting, but then continued, once he had Goten's eyes locked on his. "Yeah, um...there's no reason why we shouldn't. I mean, it'll be like a bond between us, and there'd be no way anyone would be able to keep us on a short leash. We'd be bound forever, so there's no point."

Goten was rather speechless at first. He wasn't completely sure about the ins-and-outs concerning the Vow, but he knew that three people had to be involved (two to bind together, and one to create the bind-a witness, more or less) and all three had to be wizards. The only other wizard he knew of was Vegeta.

"Trunks, I don't think your dad would want to create the bind..."

"But we can use _your_ dad! I mean, it should work, he's an untrained wizard. All he has to do is tap the wand against our hands after each Vow we make to each other; there's three in all."

"So..." Goten said very slowly, "You're basically asking me to _elope_ with you...right? And what sort of vows are we going to make to each other? Do we have to be..." Suddenly the boy's face fell. His mother had snuck up on them in the midst of their conversation, it seemed, and it was quite obvious she did not like what she was hearing.

"I certainly hope," She said in a deadly tone that rivaled Vegeta's itself, "That this is just some sort of silly little game of yours." Her anger seemed to be directed mainly to Trunks than her own son, as she was glaring daggers at the lavender-haired teen.

Goten's eyes widened and he looked pleadingly at Trunks, begging him not to say anything that could infuriate his mother more. Trunks did catch the other's gaze and smirked, looking quite Vegeta-ish.

He turned and grinned at the woman standing behind him. "And what if its not?" He asked, trying to sound innocent.

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed, "I _know _you aren't planning on marrying _my _son!"

Trunks stood up. "Perhaps," He said pompously. Still sitting on the ground, Goten buried his face in his hand and dragged his hand down slowly, groaning in annoyance.

"Is this true, _Goten_?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders, not looking at either of the other two people.

Trunks rolled his eyes at Goten. "Of course its true," He said. "And Goku will be there to let us."

"Oh no he's not! You are not involving my husband, _or _my son, for that matter, in your devilish little schemes."

"Oh? But Goten wants to make the Unbreakable Vow with me, and you can't stop us."

Chi-Chi's dark eyes glared at Goten. "So this is what you _kids _are calling marriage now, huh? I tried to ignore the fact that there was obviously something strange going on between you two, but talk of running away and getting _married_, I cannot."

"We aren't getting married," Goten said quietly, "Its just a wizard thing."

"Oh? A wizard thing huh? And I don't suppose either of you can explain it?"

For the first time, Goten looked up at his mother. "We just make a promise to each other, okay?" He snapped, feeling his temper rise.

"You are not going to talk to me like that! This attitude of yours has gone on long enough!" Her eyes quickly darted to Trunks, obviously believing that he was at fault. She withdrew a phone from her pocket, still glaring at the two boys. She pressed a few buttons and then held it to her ear. "Vegeta? Could you please tell me what this Unbreakable Vow is that your son is trying to dupe my son and Goku into?"

Trunks rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically. If this woman thought he was going to get intimidated by calling his father, she'd better think again. He couldn't care less what his father had to say about the Vow, anyway.

Suddenly, Chi-Chi looked puzzled. "Hello?" She pulled the phone away from her face and looked at it to see if she lost signal. "Ruddy phones..." She mumbled.

Before relief could come over Goten (as he really didn't want Vegeta finding out about his and Trunks' plan, even though he didn't give an answer yet) the very person he feared knowing Apparated before them.

Vegeta wore a horrible scowl on his face, which made Trunks himself look away. Goten looked as if he wanted to simply sink into the ground and remain unseen. Since he couldn't do that, he took to stepping back a few feet.

Vegeta's mouth began to form a word, but then Goku, who had taken to going for a walk in the woods, stepped from within the bamboo grove. His dark brown ones were briefly met with ones just like his, and he asked his son, "What's going on?" Goten said nothing, and showed more interest in staring at the ground than acknowledging his father's presence. It wasn't an unusual response since Goten had been avoiding his father all day.

"That's what I would like to know," The prince said lowly, eyes now boring holes into his son's. "For your sake, boy, I hope you can come up with a damn good excuse for wanting to do something as dangerous as the Unbreakable Vow."

Before Trunks could answer, a loud whirring sound was heard, and Bulma's aircraft landed in the yard a small distance away.

"More interruptions..." Chi-Chi grumbled, watching Bulma step out of the craft's exit.

"I didn't know that you were all getting together today," The blue-haired woman said in a strained cheerful voice. She was still upset at Yamcha, but she didn't want to show it with her husband and son around. Her expression fell upon the negative vibe the group was giving off. "What's up with you guys?" She asked.

"That's what we're _trying _to figure out, if people would quit coming up here!" Vegeta fumed, glowering at his wife. After he was sure that Bulma would keep quiet (though it didn't stop her from sending hateful glances his way), he rounded on his son once more.

"Its called the Unbreakable Vow for a reason," He said, earning him another eye-roll from Trunks. "And if you can't figure it out in that thick head of yours, it means _you can't break it._" A small gasp was heard coming from Goku, but it went ignored as Vegeta continued, "Do you realize that if you idiots go through with the Vow, and one day break even one of the Vow's clauses, both of you would _die?_"

All eyes were now completely on Trunks, and Bulma was the first to speak up, "So you're trying to trap Goten into making a binding agreement with him that he cannot get out of? Trunks, what could be so important that you would want to do something so dangerous to your best friend?"

"They're more than just friends, Bulma," Chi-Chi interjected.

Bulma's eyes widened and Vegeta scoffed. Goku merely said, "I don't see nothin' wrong with it."

"Oh, of course _you'd _say that," Trunks said to Goku, "After all, you're..._never mind." _He nearly blurted out what went down the previous night, but decided it was best to say nothing at the last minute. He then proceeded to stare moodily back at his father.

"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi shrieked. "What do you know about Goku that I don't?"

Bulma's curiosity heightened. She was suddenly reminded of Yamcha's crazy suspicion; surely what Trunks "knew" was something different.

"He doesn't know anything," Goten said, after his long bout of silence. He stepped toward the group. "And stop blaming just Trunks, Mom. I _wanted_ to perform the Vow with him, I just didn't know that breaking it would lead to death."

"That's mighty irresponsible of you," The black-haired woman fussed. "Why would you do such a thing for a boy that obviously doesn't care for you?"

"He _does _care for me! How'd you think I got bandaged up?" Goten paused for a minute, and glanced at Trunks, who still wore a pout, but was relieved that he was being defended. "Mom," He continued, "I care for him, too."

Trunks' mouth twitched, as if he were trying to smile, but hid it. Never before had Goten said anything to him remotely similar to an "I love you". To him, what his boyfriend had just said was just as good.

"Well, after this," Chi-Chi said, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't think that either of you need to be together." She ignored the boys' cries of outrage and continued on, "Goten's attitude has been horrible since he's been home, and he's hardly ever home. Besides, the both of you are entirely too young to be making such a long-term commitment."

"Let's go," Vegeta said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder, then gripping it roughly.

"But I don't want-" But it was too late. Before Trunks could finish his sentence, his father had Disapparated the both of them.

Goten stared blankly at the spot where both father and son once stood. There was absolutely no way that his mother was going to stop him from seeing Trunks. He felt a hand lightly brush his own shoulder, and he automatically raised his hand up to touch it, but it was removed before he could do so.

The only three people standing there were he and his mother, who looked nothing more than disappointed. "I expected that you'd have more common sense, Goten. Why can't you be sensible like your older brother?" She shook her head and walked off, leading Bulma with her. Bulma shot back an apologetic stare, which wasn't returned.

Anger raced through Goten's veins. He couldn't stand being compared to his perfect older brother, Gohan. This was just fuel to the fire that had already started when his and Trunks' conversation was overheard. Angry tears sprang up in his eyes; he swore through gritted teeth.

He may not have truthfully decided that he wanted to perform the Vow with Trunks, but he couldn't stand watching everyone accuse him of trying to be devious. Yes, his and Trunks' relationship was sudden, unexpected, and was still going to take some getting used to, but that didn't mean that Trunks wasn't his best friend, and that he didn't care. He hated seeing his friend being made fun of, and now he's probably forced to being locked up into his room...or he was doing worse.

He didn't say anything to Trunks about the newest cuts he'd seen on the older teens wrists, but if it happened again, he'd have to step in.

-8-

"You have proven me wrong," Vegeta said, standing before his son, who was on his hands and knees, gasping from not being used to Apparating, even though he took and passed the test. "I couldn't possibly believe that you were capable of coming up with such bullshit, but you rewrite the very meaning altogether."

"Fuck off!" Trunks spat, pulling himself up on his feet, "You're lucky I didn't tell anyone about you and Goku!"

"Its not your business to go spreading that around, Trunks, and it has nothing to do with you making stupid decisions," Vegeta said plainly.

"I don't see how what Goten and I were going to do is stupid. We both just wanted to promise to be together forever."

Vegeta sighed heavily and pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes, rubbing them. He seriously was not ready for this talk. He knew his son could be quite amorous, but he never had any problems with any of the boy's other lovers until now. Never once has Trunks been remotely this obsessive over one person; actually, he's never known Trunks to be obsessive at all over anything. Perhaps it was another feeble attempt for attention? Or, perhaps he was Charmed?

"Just listen to yourself for a moment," He said, trying to keep his voice level, "You're not even of age in the wizarding world, let alone the Muggle world, and here you are talking about _trapping_ your _best friend._"

"It's not a trap. We're just sick of Goku's stupid wife treating us like little kids."

"And let me guess, you figured that the Unbreakable Vow will bring you two closer, and it'll be the next best thing to marriage, and everyone will just _allow _you two to be together wherever-whenever, right?" Vegeta let out a disbelieving chuckle when his son stubbornly nodded his head. "It doesn't work out that way, boy, and the more _likely_ result will be both of you dying from breaking even one clause of the Vow. Surely, common sense would have told you that."

Trunks' face turned red, and his temper spiked once more. "I'm not stupid, Dad," He ground out, "_And_ besides, who are you to act all self-righteous, anyway? You're fucking Goku, and I _knew_ it all along. So shut up to me about what I'm doing is stupid."

Vegeta didn't want to take it this far, but something was up with the boy. If he didn't do what he had tried to avoid doing, then Trunks might end up going through with the Vow. Goku wasn't the only one around with magical abilities, after all, nor was he the only one dumb enough to agree to be the Binder.

"Give me your wand, Trunks," He said, holding his hand out. "Give it here, or I'll take it from you and break it."

"No way!" The teen protested, instinctively reaching for his pocket and grasping the wooden stick and backing away. "You can't take my wand! I need it!"

"First off, you can't perform magic without being of age, which you are not," Vegeta said, advancing on Trunks. "Secondly, you have just proven that you are too irresponsible and thick-headed to be allowed the privilege of even carrying one, so hand it here."

"You're fucking mental!" Trunks now held his wand tightly in his hand, debating seriously on hexing his dad. He backed up until he felt his heel touch the first step leading up to the castle doors. The sun was sinking now, streaking the billowing clouds in the distance with orange; it was at that transitional period before the flood lights automatically turned on, but it was still a bit hard to see.

"Don't try to pull a stupid stunt, boy, its bad enough that you're forgetting to close off your mind." He stopped, watching his son fall onto one of the stone steps. The hand holding the wand was thrust out as a feeble attempt at catching his balance. "Stupid mistake." Vegeta smirked, and snatched the wooden stick from his son's grasp.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" Trunks screamed, jumping to his feet and trying to snatch the wand back.

Vegeta easily took a step back and watched as his son lost his balance again and fell forward onto his hands and knees. "What a disgrace, you can't even keep your footing long enough to put up a decent _argument_, let alone _fight_."

"I fucking wish I was _adopted!" _Trunks cried, not bothering to pick himself up from the ground. Tears fell from his eyes onto the stone path below him, "I hate you..." He muttered, then turned his face up to glare blurrily at his father. "You fucking take Goten from me, and now you take my wand! I HATE YOU!"

Vegeta stared back coldly, unfazed by his son's dramatic behavior. "I never said you couldn't see Goten. I couldn't care less, really." He strode past his son's heaving body and walked into the castle.

Trunks sat on the ground and drew his knees to his chest. "Fuck this...a-and fuck him..." He sobbed. Everything was so messed up for him, in his opinion. He wished he never even mentioned making the Vow with Goten.

Suddenly, the flood lights flickered on, bathing Trunks in an orange-ish glow. A light breeze rustled the grass ahead, and low thunder rumbled in the distance. A damp, earthy smell mingled in the breeze, promising a heavy summer rainfall.

He dried his eyes and stood up. If he could make his horrible day even the slightest bit better, he'd start by _not _getting rained on.

He wanted to get as far away from anyone in the castle as possible, so he followed the countless twisting corridors of the castle, each hall becoming less and less adorned the deeper he journeyed.

Finally he made it to an obviously neglected, low-ceilinged room far to the back of the castle. The dim lights instantly turned on for him. The room was wide and had stone pillars with connecting arches at the top throughout the place. The wall directly across from the door was lined with narrow ceiling-tall windows with no curtains.

Taking up a majority of the floor-space were many boxes and ancient, moth-eaten furniture. Paintings of all sizes were propped up against the pillars and walls. Some were blackened around the edges from age, and some others were covered with stained cloth.

Trunks had never been interested in the extra rooms. However, finally being back in one caused him to be naturally curious to know what was hidden back here. Knowing his father, there was probably quite a few Dark heirlooms, or defective magical objects. Perhaps going through some of the junk hidden in the boxes and chests would serve as a proper distraction from what had happened earlier.

He walked over to an extremely dusty container and lifted the lid. Inside looked much like a filing drawer with alphabetized dividers. Upon further investigation of the age-worn paper, he found out that they were Capsule Corp. prototype plans that didn't get put into action. One prototype file that particularly caught his interest was the blue-print for a time-traveling machine.

Trunks lost count of how long he was in the junk room rifling through the boxes. He had found all sorts of curious objects including an old Saiyan scouter (that he had to try on), a battered book that was written completely in rune-symbols (he kept it to translate, as Ancient Runes was a subject he favored), and a ring that seemed to be made out of pure chrome and bore the blood red Saiyan crest (he was quite certain that the ring wasn't exactly made from chrome, but actually some sort of extra-terrestrial precious metal).

He walked to a darker portion of the room where a green cloth-covered painting was propped against the wall by itself. The painting was almost as tall has he was, and he was curious to know who was behind it, and why his father would hide something like this. All of the most important paintings were put out, and surely something this grand was important.

Of course, he knew that the paintings all liked to gossip and talk down to everyone who lived in the castle. Thankfully, though, Trunks was quite used to the jeers, and simply ignored them. If the subject of this painting had anything to say, he'd just throw the cover back on.

"Well, don't just stand there," The painting's subject spoke, causing Trunks to jump, "Pull this blasted cover off!" The voice was a dignified baritone with a sort-of harshness around the edges that commanded obedience at once.

Trunks immediately did as he was told, and had to take a step back upon viewing the painting's subject. The figure within the aged golden frame looked almost exactly like his father, except for the color of his hair, and facial hair. It also seemed like he would be much taller than his father. On the Saiyan armor the man wore was the Saiyan crest. This man _had _to be his grandfather, King Vegeta.

"I cannot tell you how long its been since I have seen the outside of my own painting," The king continued on.

"You're welcome," Trunk said meekly, unsure if that was the proper thing to say. He was quite intimidated by King Vegeta's presence, despite the fact that he was merely a painting, and could not actually do any physical harm to him.

The king scoffed, "Do not think you are doing _me _any favors, child, by simply revealing to me the horrid place I have been unceremoniously banished to."

Trunks was beginning to regret ever taking the sheet off of the painting. He didn't much care for his grandfather's snobbish attitude. "I-I'm sorry, I'll put the thing back on if you want."

"If I wanted it where it was, I would not have told you to take it off. Do use your common sense, assuming you have any."

"I'm sorry-"

"The whole lot of you are _sorry._ My own son, whom I harbored high hopes for has allowed my legacy to go to seed. He should be running this planet, not concerning himself with trivial matters such as governing that _school..._"

The reason his father hid the painting of King Vegeta was clearer now. Obviously the late conqueror had a very different opinion on how his castle should be run, and Vegeta did not care to listen.

"...And _you,_" The king continued with much contempt, "I've heard of your disgraceful sniffling-"

"How do you know what I do?" Trunks interjected loudly, "Actually, how do you know what goes on here at all? You're stuck back here!"

The king chuckled, as if amused, "You _are_ quite as clueless as you are insolent, aren't you? After all these years, have you not noticed that we can visit other paintings?" He smiled smugly as Trunks' mouth formed a comical 'o' upon realizing what had just slipped his mind. Of course his grandfather would know what was going on in his castle.

"At any rate, I had hoped that there would be a glimmer of hope in you, but from what I had seen and heard about you, I realized I was merely wasting my time. You're about as sorry of a Saiyan as that fool Kakarrot and his boy."

"Don't talk shit about Goten! He's a _great _fighter!"

"And you are obviously missing my point,"

"I don't wanna know your damn point, because I'm done talking to you." Trunks picked up the green sheet from the floor.

King Vegeta scowled, but quickly regained composure. He was by no means done talking. It had been years since he had conversation with someone aside from other portrait figures, and for some reason, talking to this brat was a positive change.

"How are you getting along with your father's new friends?" He asked, obviously trying to upset Trunks more.

"That's none of your business,"

"Well could you at least humor me? I'm actually particularly curious to find out if you're going to start calling Kakarrot 'mother' now?"

Trunks stopped; he had actually forgotten about his father and Goku since he had been in the room. "That...has nothing to do with me." He finally answered, "And my parents are just going through a rough time; they'll be back together soon."

Cruel laughter escaped the king's lips, "My dear boy, I do hope that this is simply a feeble attempt at hiding from the truth. No? You _honestly _believe that this is just a silly phase? How pathetic..."

Once more, the half-saiyan fought the urge to cry. He wanted nothing more to do with this horrible man. Did he really blatantly deny the truth and pretend that everything was okay? Truthfully, he didn't want to think about _that _either.

King Vegeta eyed the boy before him, whose eyes were watering and face was turning red fast, "Oh, do not cry. You are a Saiyan warrior, unfortunately for me and my shattered legacy, so do try to act like it."

"Fuck your stupid-ass legacy," Trunks said, swinging the cloth over the painting, darkening his grandfather's world once more.


	6. Uncharted Territory

**A/N: I apologize for not posting for a while; had some "technical" issues concerning my internet. Anyhow, please enjoy this next epic installment!**

**Warning: Graphic content/adult concepts**

After a much-needed week away from the collective chaos that seemed to consume her life, Bulma packed up her capsule camper that Chi-Chi allowed her to situate on the lawns of Mt. Paozu, and readied her capsulated air-craft.

Chi-Chi walked outside to send Bulma off; Bulma turned to the black-haired woman and smiled, "Consider what we talked about, alright?" She said with a smile.

"Of course," Chi-Chi replied, smiling back, "And if you ever need anything, just let me know, alright?"

"Absolutely," The older woman embraced the younger; she entered the capsule plane, sat down, and fired the engine. Moments later, she was air-borne.

Chi-Chi watched the craft speed off toward the north-west, where the sky was looming with clouds. Lost in thought, she pondered over what all was discussed over the week that Bulma had stayed.

Bulma came to her angry over the immaturity of men in general. When given further questioning, she went into a full-on rant. Chi-Chi was quite familiar with stories of Vegeta's behavior toward Bulma, but she was genuinely shocked when she was told of the new housemates he was sleeping with.

What made it worse was this tale was followed by an, "And that's not all."

By the end of Bulma's tale of childish, partying, cheating men, the poor radish-farmer felt sick. Of course, she had her share of drama itself. She then went on a whirl about Goku's constant disappearances, and Goten's newfound devil-may-care attitude. She didn't all-out accuse Trunks, but she made clear that Goten and Trunks should be separate for the summer, at least, to keep from distracting each other from their studies. Also, she felt that both boys needed a serious reality-check.

During the women's verbal abuse concerning their less-than-satisfactory husbands (and boyfriends), Bulma brought up Yamcha's theory concerning Goku and Vegeta.

"I can't believe that Yamcha would have brought up something so ludicrous," Bulma laughed.

"I don't know..." Chi-Chi responded slowly, "Goku and Vegeta are around each an awful lot. They go out drinkin' as well, and Goku next to never drinks. I'm wonderin' if somethin' happened while they were drunk..."

Bulma shrugged, "Vegeta likes drinking casually, but I've never seen him belligerent, or have ever known him to get that bad. As for them hanging out, I mean, I guess its odd that they've decided to hang out as much as they do, but I seriously don't see Vegeta or Goku going after each other."

Chi-Chi, who had been listening intently for her husband, who was messing around outside, spotted Goku lurking around the window, pretending to dip down and investigate the garden below the window. She dropped her tone and leaned in closer to Bulma, "I'd say lets keep an eye on him. I'll bet you anythin' there's somethin' fishy going on, and I wanna get to the bottom of it. I am _not _going to lose my husband to Vegeta." She said the last part firmly, eyes full of determination.

Bulma's eyes widened slightly. Chi-Chi's fierce attitude was a bit intimidating, "W-well, have you considered family therapy for your problems?" She asked quietly.

Chi-Chi's expression softened, and she sat back, looking thoughtful, "Therapy? No, I haven't thought of that. D'you really think that a doctor can help?"

"Maybe," The older woman shrugged, "Didn't work for Vegeta and I, but we pretty much knew our marriage was a failure. You, however, seem like you really wanna work things out with Goku, so give it a shot."

And so Chi-Chi considered Bulma's offer, and also caught herself keeping a closer eye on her husband. She became aware of Goku's hastiness while doing chores. As soon as he deemed himself through, he would quickly try to fly off, but the aggravated woman stopped him and pushed so many chores on her husband, that he would lose the interest in leaving. To her shock, however, he did these chores just as quick, and just as half-assed, and still tried to leave.

When asked why he was leaving, Goku would merely blame it on boredom and follow it with his nervous chuckle. The sneaky saiyan would then distract his wife, and take off as soon as she was turned around.

A week past and neither women had solid evidence of Goku's adultery. Still, however, Chi-Chi wanted to start the therapy. She was well-aware her and Goku had issues, and wanted to resolve them. Then, hopefully, they would be a family again, and not a failure like Bulma and Vegeta.

Chi-Chi walked back across the lawns. Goten was in his bedroom studying, and Goku was, of course, at Vegeta's castle. She knew that Goku had taken to nosing around and listening to her and Bulma's conversations, but after that first day, she didn't care if he heard. He needed to know what everyone thought about him, after all.

Oh yes, he'll have fun for a little while longer; but she was determined to make sure he listened to her when she actually sat him down and talked face-to-face about the family therapy that they so desperately needed.

-0-

At the castle, the sky was depressingly over-cast. It was cool for a summer afternoon, and a strong breeze made the forest beyond sway darkly. The otherwise murky water over the man-made pond rippled, and reflected the steely sky above.

Regardless of the solemn surroundings, it was a good day to train. The weather was not to hot, and not too cold, and the sun was not in sight to serve as a distraction. Today, Goku was training Raditz on how to read ki, and hopefully help boost his extremely low power-level up some. The older Saiyan, however, was proving to be more of a challenge to train than the actual training regime itself.

"You just need to close your eyes," Goku said patiently to his older brother, "Its the easiest way to begin,"

Raditz huffed stubbornly. He didn't feel at all comfortable with closing his eyes, leaving himself completely vulnerable to his epically stronger younger brother. Still, he was getting a free lesson in reading ki, which was an ability that he shamefully did not possess. He was tired of being taunted (by Vegeta, especially) for not possessing an ability as basic as ki-sensing. He also hoped that learning this ability will aid him in becoming stronger, if not to conquer, then at least to be on the same level as his brother.

"You better not do something stupid, Kakarrot, or I'll find a way to fucking kill you," He growled, shutting his eyes.

"_Try _to relax," Goku insisted, "If you keep on tensing up, you won't be in-tune with your surroundings."

"This is so fucking dumb..." Raditz grumbled. From nearby, a stifled giggle could be heard. Raditz's temper flared and he opened his eyes to glare hatefully at the source of the noise, "Shut the fuck up, Melvin, or I'll bust you in your fucking mouth!" He spat.

Seventeen scoffed, "I'm just watching for entertainment, since I'm incapable of learning how to do this."

"Well, if you weren't doped up so damn much..." Raditz mumbled, then rolled his eyes and closed them once more. He exhaled slowly, ready to get this over with. "Now what?" He demanded.

"Now, without using your other senses, use your own energy to seek out other's energies. Remember to focus, it should just come to you."

A sensation, like being shocked by a spark, shot through his very mind, and Raditz's eyes shot open. Though Goku was at his base power-level, the energy positively radiated off of him. Raditz could not believe that someone could possess such awesome power.

To his surprise, he felt another presence. Sitting by the pond with spell-books strewn out before him was none other than Trunks. He seemed to more focused on his work, and the cell-phone he had held to his ear, than the other three also occupying the same section of the yard. He was particularly amazed that Trunks was as powerful as he was, though he was nowhere near Goku, despite the fact that, from what he had seen, he was a whiny, lazy, brat.

He also felt a powerful ki coming from the castle. This one had to be Vegeta's. This particularly power-level was nearly matched with Goku's.

"I can't feel yours," Raditz said to Seventeen, who merely shrugged as if to say, "I don't know what to tell you."

Goku looked simply delighted, "Now that you can sense ki, maybe we can spar!" He said excitedly, "And I'll fight close to your level, so that the fight is fair."

Raditz's face fell, "My le...? _Now fucking see here! _I don't need to be baby-sat by you, Kakarrot! I can something in the _forest _on my own!" It was embarrassing enough for him to realize that he was, indeed, the weakest person in the castle, he didn't need his _little_ brother helping him.

Over by the pond, Trunks looked up from the book he was thumbing through. He had given up studying as a bad job and decided to watch Raditz's training. This also distracted him from his phone conversation with Goten. He wasn't much of a phone-talker, being that he preferred face-to-face conversation, so most of their talk consisted of Goten running his mouth non-stop and Trunks saying "yeah" here and there. He figured Goten was merely talking to hear himself talk, so he didn't feel bad about ignoring him.

"...And mom's trying to get me to do family therapy with her and dad," Goten rattled on, "That's some shit, ain't it?"

"Damn, dude, that's rough..." Trunks responded distractedly, eyes trained on Raditz fussing and Goku trying to calm him down. He was naturally curious about what was upsetting Raditz and wanted to know what was up. He then glanced toward Seventeen. He idly watched the small-framed man shift his weight from one leg to the other, and occasionally toss his hair back out of his face.

He was still a bit upset with Seventeen for sleeping with his father, and he hadn't spoken to the man since he found out. He was quite sure that Seventeen didn't care, being that the carefree man never said anything when he, Trunks, would quickly dart out of sight when they were within each other's line of sight.

Nonetheless, Trunks was quite ready for some sort of association with someone other than Goten. Though things didn't get quite as physical as he would have liked, he still enjoyed the few nights that Goten had snuck over, and didn't mind the phone conversations. However, the desire to talk with someone other than his boyfriend was becoming too hard to ignore. Perhaps he could start over with Seventeen and possibly even be friends with him.

"I gotta go," Trunks said quickly.

"Aw! I was gonna tell you a joke!" Goten whined.

"You can tell me later!" Trunks said hastily. Raditz was now stomping across the yard with Goku following speedily in his wake, imploring him to let him join. "Bye, Go-_quit fussing at me!_ I'll see you later on, goodbye!" He then hung up and collected his books and papers in his arms.

"What's going on?" He asked Seventeen when he caught up with the others.

Seventeen seemed unfazed by Trunks' sudden appearance. "Talking to me now?" He asked blankly.

Trunks felt a small jab of guilt and his face reddened, "Sorry 'bout that," He muttered awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it," The older man responded with a faint smile, "Anyway, Raditz is upset over his feeble power-level and wants to go in the woods for a good cry."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Raditz demanded, quickening his pace around the pond and toward the tree-line.

"Sounds like fun," Trunks said sarcastically, holding the books a bit tighter, "I guess we'll all have to watch his back, won't we?" His arms weren't heavily-laden with books and parchment, but it was still quite a bit to carry, so he couldn't walk quite as fast.

Seventeen nodded silently, then glanced over at the objects in Trunks' arms. "I'm assuming that's your school work you constantly get bitched about?"

"Some of it is," Trunks answered, adjusting the position of a scroll, "But I was really trying to translate this book," He glanced down at the small, battered rune-written book that he found in the extra room, "It seems like someone's journal."

"Do you know what any of it reads?"

"I do not recognize any of these symbols. I cannot find a single one in this book that matches any in _Spellman's Syllabary _or in _Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms. _I might have to see if we have a book in the library that can translate it."

"Why not use the internet?"

The teen let out a condescending chuckle that was rather Vegeta-ish, "You Muggles and your dependence on electronics," He said haughtily, "Our society is _private_, so of course our information wouldn't be easy to access. And since most wizards use magic to get things done, we have no use for electronics."

"You sure do love that phone of yours," The older man teased, mocking Trunks' arrogant manner.

"My mom makes us use phones and computers, since she doesn't want us to rely on just magic. I think she's just offended by the fact that magic gets things done faster than electronics."

Trunks then became quiet at the thought of Bulmas. He had not seen his mother since that day on Mt. Paozu Chi-Chi had a fit, but he knew that she had been staying there. He was quite upset with her for not telling him; more importantly, he was upset with her for not making Chi-Chi take back what she said about him and Goten not being able to see each other.

-0-

Thunder rumbled overhead and the dreary clouds darkened to a more menacing shade of gray. Bulma made it inside the castle before the heavy rains began to fall. She hoped that she wasn't going to run into anyone as she made her way through the winding corridors that led to Vegeta's favored study, where she was somehow sure he was at. She's known him quite long enough to know his favorite haunts of the castle.

She didn't know why she was bothered so much by the fact that there could possibly be something between Goku and Vegeta. Her marriage was pretty much dead, wasn't it? But there was that moment in time when things were decent between the two of them.

Bulma was still working under her father, and Vegeta was nothing more than a quick-witted, smart-mouthed Board of Governors hopeful (its quite difficult to get elected when one is virtually unheard of). Trunks was merely a young boy back then, and was quite the model son as far as Vegeta's opinion of him went.

This particular moment in their married lives was when they were happiest. Vegeta's campaign to get on the Board was going in his favor. Thanks to Bulma's seemingly never-ending bank supply, he had many resources at his disposal. He was winning the approval of Hogwarts teachers and the student's parents, which was quite a shock to his and Bulma's circle of friends, because since when did Vegeta care so much about education in the first place?

Vegeta simply justified his actions by stating that since Trunks was going to that school, he wanted to make sure he was being taught correctly. His actual hunger for political power was masked perfectly by this facade.

Bulma couldn't be any more proud of her husband. He was becoming a model citizen and really adjusting to Earth life very well. They constantly went on vacations and kept a tightly-knit-family image for both of their careers. They did nearly everything together, even though sometimes Bulma had to bully Vegeta into spending time with her (he hadn't given up his training, though his time spent in the GR was whittled down quite a bit).

As she neared the study, she thought about all the times she'd seduce him away from work, and he'd take her right in that room. It didn't matter where they had sex, whether it be the floor, the desk, the wall, it was always full of passion.

Sometimes, she'd find herself longing for those days once more. Those days, all they had to do was give each other _that _look, and they were tangled together on the spot. Now, he doesn't even look at her.

She stood before the wooden door and exhaled. She heard voices in the room, and she wondered if he had one of his little _buddies_ keeping him company. She felt a sense of unwelcome fall over her. She hell-hated feeling this way in the place she called a home, but Vegeta's blatant disregard for her made it hard not to feel such emotions.

"Enter," Came the business-like tone of Vegeta's voice, which stopped Bulma's retreating movements; _He sensed me, _She thought. She was taken off-guard; surely if he had company, he would not invite her in. Still, curiosity drove her to accept her husband's invitation.

She opened the door to find Vegeta sitting on the floor before the fireplace, which was alight with bright flames. Anyone who was not used to the magical environment would wonder why Vegeta had a fire going during the summer, and also why he was sitting dangerously close to it and talking to it.

Of course, Bulma was unfazed by this bizarre behavior. She knew that Vegeta was simply talking to a fellow wizard whose visible head was engulfed in flames inside of the fireplace. This, of course, was made possible by the Floo Network.

"I'm sorry," Bulma said sincerely, "I didn't know you were in the middle of something."

"No matter," Vegeta replied, "We were merely wrapping up." He gathered up the small stack of papers that sat to his side, "Mr. Alvarez," He addressed the head "You will be here the second of August for the next meeting?" .

"Of course," The head, Mr. Alvarez, replied smoothly, "Stay out of the rain; I hear its quite rough over there."

Vegeta nodded and handed the papers to the head in the flames, who took them into its mouth and then disappeared. The fire went back to its natural state and Vegeta's attention went to his wife.

"What was that all about?" She asked, "I didn't think you'd be getting called upon this late in the evening."

"He was merely collecting the plans I touched up on concerning the new school program we will put into action at the end of the summer," Vegeta replied coolly, straightening his clothes as he took a standing position, "Nothing of major importance."

"I certainly hope that everything going well for you, as far as your plans go."

"They aren't," The prince replied, gathering more documents from the desk nearby and straightening them into a more uniform position, "The Ministry is interfering, as usual, and they're making a mess of things for us."

Bulma simply nodded her response, then said, "You've all been able to straighten things out before, so I am sure that this time will be nothing..." Her voice then faltered upon realizing that this is the first conversation in a _long_ time that the two of them had together that didn't result in a fight. She found it odd and awkward, but strangely nice. The niceness, however, wasn't going to last long, for she knew that Vegeta was going to inquire about the reason she sought him out.

"And why are you here?" He asked, taking advantage of the woman's silence, "I am quite sure its not to inquire about the affairs of wizards." He leaned on his palm, which was situated on the edge of the desk.

Bulma let out a small sigh. "Where's Goku at? I know he's here,"

"How the hell should I know?" Vegeta's stoic expression formed into a frown, "I am not his owner. Last time I've seen him, he was training his brother, but that was a few hours ago."

"He's been over here an awful lot, hasn't he? His wife and even Yamcha are starting to suspect something."

The prince's features did not falter, "What do I care if those idiots have nothing better to do than to gossip. If Kakarrot being over here is a problem, then his wife ought to confront him about it, rather than spread rumors that could possibly endanger either of us."

"The thing is," Bulma said slowly, trying to watch Vegeta's reactions, "She's already planning on fixing the matter. They're going to family therapy."

Vegeta laughed cruelly, "And does that foolish woman honestly think that Kakarrot will go for that? He'd end up making matters worse just with his inability to sit still."

"But what if it _does _work?"

"You've known Kakarrot long enough to know that this is all just wishful thinking."

"Well, it sounds to me as if you don't _want_ it to work," Bulma said heatedly, getting annoyed at how the conversation was going just as she had thought.

"Why the fuck should I care whether their marriage is a failure or not?" Vegeta shrugged, pushing himself away from the desk, "That is Kakarrot's albatross to bear."

Bulma stopped, thought a moment, then continued, "And what about our marriage? Do you see it as a burden, as well?"

"I can ask you the same question, Bulma," The prince retorted. He extinguished the fire in the fireplace with a casual wave of his wand, which he had picked up from his desk, "What do _you _think?"

"Hell must have frozen over," The blue-haired woman laughed, "You never care about what I think." She then turned and left out of the room without looking back.

She should have know that Vegeta would be tough to crack, but she still found no solid evidence that something was happening with Goku and her husband. Still, she wasn't quite ready to give up, either. Vegeta might have deflected her attempts, but one thing she did notice: he didn't _deny_ that something shady was happening.

-0-

Though it was merely late in the afternoon, the forest was nearly pitch-black thanks to the storm clouds and the tree canopy. The rain fell heavily, thunder crashed loudly overhead, and lightning split the sky in a diabolical fashion.

Soaked to the bone from the rain water, Raditz and Goku stopped by a dripping jack pine. Mere moments later the stragglers, Trunks and Seventeen, slumped up behind them on the other side of the tree to lean against it.

"Raditz?" Goku asked tentatively. His older brother had been particularly temperamental, and the rain was not helping at all. Still, Goku had no idea what was going on in the older man's head, and even found himself questioning his mental state.

"Don't you start with me..." Raditz threatened dangerously, "If you're going to complain, you should have just stayed at the castle."

"I just wanna know what you plan on doin'? We've been wanderin' around for what feels like hours, and you won't let me help you out."

"I can't pin-point anything without the ki signature disappearing!" Raditz complained angrily, "All this big-ass forest, and there ain't nothin' in here!"

"You gotta know what you're lookin' for," Goku said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Certain creatures lurk in specific environments, say if you're looking for a dinosaur, then you would look-"

The older saiyan's frown deepened, "Do I look like the kind of person that merrily skips around the forest on a daily basis playing with the cute little animals? NO!"

"I offered my help, won't you-?"

"_NO!_"

Behind the jack pine, Trunks sighed pathetically. The rain did not seem to be letting up at all, and his books were ruined, except for the journal. The journal seemed to have some sort of impervious charm on it, as if its author didn't want his or her message to be obliterated by things such as the elements, as well as other means of destruction.

"Its cold and wet and we're lost," He complained, mostly to himself, hugging his soggy books closer to him, "I don't know what I was thinking coming out here." The thoughts of being safe and dry inside of his bedroom filled his mind. Unfortunately, they were too far into the forest, and therefore broke through the protective charms placed on the castle.

The protective charms kept unwelcome people and vicious creatures from wandering (or Apparating) onto the castle's grounds. The charms also masked the castle's residents' ki signatures. And thanks to the area in which the castle was built, the castle _and _the forest was made Unplottable due to the vast amount of Magical creatures inhabiting the area.

Figuring that Raditz and Goku were too busy bickering to continue moving, Trunks laid his books down at his feet to give his arms a break. They were already wet and ruined, so it didn't matter. He didn't realize how sore and stiff his arms had become, and they ached from being relieved of their burdens.

"This is boring," Seventeen said suddenly. He had amused himself, when things got quiet, with looking around at his surroundings while it was still light out, but his interest quickly diminished about as fast as his visibility was once it started storming.

Trunks nodded his agreement, staring glumly at the forest floor. He moved his sopping-wet hair out of his eyes and turned his gaze to Seventeen. The thought never dawned on him until now that they were actually alone together, despite the rain. Goku and Raditz were too busy fussing with each other to notice...anything could happen.

Suddenly, empty pale blue eyes, half-hidden by curtains of black hair, met his own. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the environment, and making Seventeen look ghastly. "Did you...?" He called over the roar of the rain.

"What?" Trunks asked as thunder cut off Seventeen's sentence. He moved closer, so as to hear better.

Seventeen hooked his fingers in Trunks' shirt collar and tugged him closer, so their faces were barely an inch from each other's, "Did you want something?" He repeated, "That's what I said."

The younger male felt his face warm up a bit. It was very, very clear that the man gripping his shirt had issues with personal space. "I was just thinking and spaced out." He lied, hoping that he sounded convincing.

After releasing his grip on the shirt collar, Seventeen's hand slid up Trunks' chilled, wet neck, "You're cold as a corpse," He said with a caress to his voice. His body pressed against the other's, and his hand other slid along the small of Trunks' back.

"And you might as well be one," Trunks replied, placing one of his hands on his aggressor's waist, "I can't feel any life energy from you at all."

All other thoughts were pushed from the teen's mind as wet lips pressed against his own. There was something about making out in the rain that was particularly pleasurable. The way their slick mouths moved fluidly as their tongues snaked around each other's felt amazing. Both cold, they clung to each other, as if desperate for one another's body heat.

They were unaware, however, that Raditz and Goku had already started moving forward.

"Bloody fucking hell," Raditz ground out as he and Goku trudged along the forest, "I think we lost 'em." He tossed his head to the side and turned his body awkwardly to verify his suspicion.

"Trunks is with Seventeen," Goku said encouragingly, "He's a good fighter."

Raditz huffed, as if Trunks being a great fighter wasn't much of a mind-easer.

"I have to admit something," He said, after a few moments of silent trekking through the forest.

Goku cringed slightly. He was not one for heart-to-hearts, as he found most emotions to be awkward. "What is it?" He asked, still, not wanting to be rude.

"I am actually having a hard time trying to pin-point on a singular ki. There's so many surrounding us, and its throwing me off."

The younger saiyan smiled, "you will get used to it," He said understandingly, "Soon it will be second-nature to target a specific ki."

Raditz snorted, "Yeah I'm quite su-_HOLY SHI-_" His sentence was quickly cut off as he some how triggered a trap mechanism and fell into an earth-covered manhole. Completely startled, Goku stumbled in after him.

Upon landing roughly on the muddy ground (Raditz landed on his face), their ears were met with the sound of hissing.

Goku powered up and attempted to fly, but he could not get feet off of the ground. "I can't fly!"

"Neither can I!" Raditz panicked, ; he was never one to deal with life-or-death situations well unless he had the upper hand. The hissing got louder as its source drew nearer. "Fuck!" He snapped, feeling something thin and slippery slither up his leg.

Thinking quickly, Goku flared his ki which cast light over their surroundings. Before he could get a good scope of the place, his eyes landed on the source of the hissing. He gave a small gasp upon realizing that the two of them had fallen into a snake pit. He didn't have to look hard to guess that the snakes were more than likely poisonous.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light illuminated the pit even more. It hit the ground, causing the snakes below to burn to nothing. "That should do it," Raditz said smugly.

"You didn't have to kill them!" Goku protested.

"Oh, I didn't mean to ruin you plans of getting eaten alive by poisonous snakes," Raditz said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "Next time, just warn me so I can get the fuck out of the way." He ended his remark with a smarmy smile.

Goku ignored his brother's smart remark and proceeded to check out the room. The room was circular and seemed to have about a ten-foot diameter. Looking upward, he saw that he and Raditz must have fallen at least twenty feet.

"Hey, there's a door here," Raditz said, indicating a large metal door with cone-shaped spikes jutting out of it about ten inches. There was no doorknob, and the spikes were too smooth to get a grip on. "Damn, how are we going to get out of here? We can't fly, or open the door."

"Try blasting it," Goku suggested.

"You sure you don't want me to save it? Y'know just in case you get the sudden urge to impale yourself?" Raditz then laughed at his own wit.

"Fine, I'll do it," the younger Saiyan said. He was amazed at how boundless Raditz's sarcastic attitude seemed to be; he wondered how Seventeen put up with it. He held his hand out and sent a basic ki blast at the door, being that he could very easily destroy metal even at this base power-level.

His confident smirk quickly dissipated when he saw that the door was still intact.

"Looks like the great and powerful Kakarrot can't even bust down a door," The older saiyan teased.

"At least I'm not the one who fell _flat _on my face," Goku replied quickly, without even thinking. He studied the door, and found not even a scratch on its surface. He couldn't even feel another ki signature from behind the door.

"I think someone's got some spells cast around here." He said observantly, "We can't fly; the door doesn't even have a dent in it, when it shouldn't even be on its hinges; and I can't feel any other energies around here."

"Well, isn't that just perfect!" Raditz seethed, lashing his soggy tail out as violently as the weight would allow, "So what do we do now, genius, holler for help? Or what? Is there some fucking silencing spell around the place?"

"More than likely," Goku responded, kicking a bit of dead snake off of his shoe, "They probably set this place up so that no one can escape by any means." His years of fighting, and also being around the Magical world made him quite aware that just about anything was possible, so he was definitely not going to rule anything out.

"Hold up," The older Saiyan seemed to be listening carefully for something, "It sounds like there's a bunch of noisy dogs coming this way."

Goku became very still and listened intently, "I can hear it too."

Soon the yapping became more discernable. The sound was more high-pitched than a dog's, and didn't have the growling undertone. It seemed as if it were some sort of sophisticated form of speech, due to the fact that various tones and pauses were used; as if a group of these creatures were conversing with one another.

Goku and Raditz stood back and took on defensive stances, waiting with bated breath as the door easily swung open.

"What the...?" Was the only thing that came from a dumb-struck Raditz's mouth upon getting a good look at his and his brother's captors.

Half a dozen bipedal, lizard-like creatures stood in the doorway. Three held torches that illuminated the creature's odd features. The creatures ranged from about two-and-a-half to three-feet in height; they had brick-colored scaly hides, reptile heads and tails, and miniature ivory horns on the top of their head. Their smell was horrible, like wet dog; and on their tattered tunic-covered chests gleamed menacing-looking necklaces of sharp teeth.

The creatures seemed to be surprised that the snakes didn't kill their prisoners. They took in the two tall, muscular men, and then began speaking in their high-pitched yipping to each other once more. Two of the creatures that didn't hold torches ran off the opposite direction down an earthen tunnel.

"We get stuck in a hole by _these _things?" Raditz continued to bitch, observing the odd conversation, "I'll stomp the shit out of these little fuckers!"

"Wait, Raditz!" Goku said before his brother could ensue the pounding he was promising, "These creatures may be weak, but they can cast magical spells. There's no telling what they will do to us!"

Raditz groaned, "Well, we can't ruddy well talk to them! I don't speak yip-yak or whatever the shit language they're speaking, and I seriously doubt you do too!"

"Maybe we can offer them something?"

"A swift kick in the face sounds good..."

Goku ignored his brother and shoved his hand in his pocket in an attempt to present an offering to the reptilian creatures. The creatures, however, seemed to increase in numbers, but the generous Saiyan did not notice.

"Kakarrot," Raditz said, fear lacing his voice, "There's more of them...and they have weapons." His eyes lingered on the shiny, sharp double-bladed axe held in a particularly large creature's hands. Other warrior-like reptiles held their spears, knives, and short-swords out at the intruders and slowly started advancing on them.

"The only thing I have to give to them is my phone," The younger Saiyan nearly whined, backing up, along with his brother, toward the wall behind him. He looked at the small device he held in his hand, which surprisingly still worked, as if contemplating whether he should hand it over or not, but then a shriek from above caught his, and Raditz's, attention (the little monsters held their position and seemed to not be bothered by this sudden interruption).

Following the shriek, lightning streaked the sky, illuminating a silvery, wide-spread net, with metal spherical weights attached to the outer perimeter, that was dropped from the top of the man-hole. Before either Saiyan could fully grasp what was going on, as they had never seen a net that seemed to be spun from silver itself, the device draped over them and pinned them to the muddy ground.

Neither Saiyan could move an inch. If it weren't for the fact that the net was obviously cast with a sort of immobility spell, they could have easily just thrown it off of them.

Curious, the creatures swarmed the mud-covered and humiliated adventurers. They yipped and yapped in their strange language, while prodding the Saiyans with their weapons.

"Hey! That's not yours!" Raditz protested as a scaly, clawed hand reached into his jeans pocket and withdrew a knotted sandwich bag that held what looked like bunched-up oregano in its contents. He then made a noise of despair as the bag was torn open and the green substance was dumped onto the muddy ground.

"Uh-oh!" Goku said, unaware of his brother's loss, "Chi-Chi's calling! I just know it!" Sure enough, his phone was lighting up and vibrating in his pocket. He couldn't move to answer it, much less keep one of the creatures from taking it from him.

Somehow the snooping lizard had pressed just the right button, and managed to answer it.

"GOKU! WHERE ARE YOU?" Came the trademark shriek of none other than Chi-Chi, "ANSWER ME!"

The horrid tone of Chi-Chi's voice seemed to startle the reptile, and he tossed the cell phone to its comrade.

"WHY ARE YOU MAKING THAT NOISE, GOKU! ARE YOU DRINKING AGAIN? WHY WON'T YOU-" Her cries were silenced as the phone was thrown to the ground and stomped into the muck.

"She's gonna kill me..." Goku whimpered.

"We have worse things to worry about!" Raditz hissed, "They stole my fucking weed! Well its not mine, its Seventeen's, but still!"

"And what's worse," The younger Saiyan said, "I think they're tryina take us somewhere," .

And just as well, clawed hands worked deftly to tie the magical net together tighter. Moments later, after futile attempts at struggling, Raditz and Goku were being dragged by their feet by four torch-carrying lizards. Behind their heads, and along their sides, the rest of the creatures walked along; the ones carrying weapons kept them pointed at the prisoners.

-8-

"Quit sliding down," Seventeen muttered in Trunks' ear. He had one of his hands braced against the tree bark by Trunks' head. The other hand was shoved down the teen's unbuttoned and unzipped jeans.

"Ah-_sorry,_" Trunks breathed, using his desperate hold around Seventeen's neck to pull himself straighter. He knew that Seventeen was just screwing around with him, because he got some sort of satisfaction from the reactions he was getting, but he could not help that his body was reacting the way it was. He was so sexually frustrated (thanks mostly to Goten's "needing to wait"), that just the simplest touches felt amazing.

He was quite sure that if he asked, he could very well get laid right there next to that tree in the middle of the storm. He, however, wasn't sure that he _could _ask. Did he really want to full-on cheat on Goten? It was bad enough that he had another guy's mouth on his neck and hand grabbing his length, would it be worth taking then chance and giving into his body's desires?

The answer would have probably come to him quicker if something didn't keep nagging at him in the back of his mind that something was amiss. This mental unease had nothing to do with the physical pleasures he was currently indulging in; he could no longer feel Raditz or Goku's ki.

"Hey," He whispered.

"Hm?"

"I can't-ah-sense Raditz or Goku anymore,"

"Oh, what are we going to do?" Seventeen said sarcastically. He removed his hand from where it was and stepped back to peer around the tree, "Holy shit, they really are gone."

A little disappointed, but still relieved that the two of them had stopped while they were ahead, Trunk adjusted his jeans, pushed himself off of the tree and collected his, until now, forgotten books. They squelched nastily as he hugged the soggy articles in his arms; he really should have left them behind.

"I wonder how we expect to find them without a ki signature," Seventeen said when Trunks stood beside him.

"I dunno," Trunks replied, looking around. The rain had lessened considerably, but the only available light there was, was the occasional lightning flash. He cursed inwardly at the fact that he was mere months from being able to legally cast a simple illumination spell, which was crucial in their escape from the forest.

"I can't feel them," He groaned after a few moments, "Even the faintest bit. Its almost like they were cloaked under some sort of Untraceable spell."

Seventeen reached into his pocket and withdrew a cell phone. "Perhaps if I call him..." He chose the number in his contacts list and held the phone to his ear. He was prepared to hear a low ringing tone, indicating that his call had gotten through, but instead all he got was an extremely loud static-y sound.

"I think the rain damaged it," He said, "But the light's still good." He held the screen out to shine it on Trunks' face.

"Or maybe there's a magical interference," Trunks observed, "Usually electrical devices fail under the presence of extremely powerful magic." He continued at the sight of Seventeen's puzzled look. "And powerful magic usually leaves traces," He bent down to inspect a set of large, squashy footprints he shined his own phone's light on and determined that straight ahead was the direction they needed to be traveling. He then straightened, shifted his books to one arm, and began to travel forward, using his phone's light to see.

"Is this trace physical, or...?" Seventeen asked after a few minutes of walking.

"Its normally like an ambient presence, like you just know," The younger male said distractedly, examining a long, wiry, strand of black hair that he had removed from a bush, "But sometimes physical traces are left like strange scorch marks, or whatever."

Seventeen stooped low beside what looked like a dull metal pressure switch, rusted in places due to element exposure. "This looks like it was already activated,"

"It might have triggered this manhole here," Trunks replied, peering down into the void-like pit that Raditz and Goku had fallen in. "Maybe this is where Raditz and Goku are; I can feel leftover magic here." He leaned over further and called out; no answer, "I don't think anyone's down there." He said, straightening back up, "And I'm not risking going down there, just in case, y'know?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe they were killed?"

Trunks scoffed, "Goku may not be very bright, and a complete social retard, but he's an expert when it comes to survival tactics. I highly doubt that they're _dead_. Goku wouldn't go down without an epic fight, so there'd definitely be a commotion if they were in any danger."

"So what do you suppose we do, _nature boy_?" Seventeen replied, standing straight and joining Trunks beside the manhole, "Their prints end here, and there's no telling what's down at the bottom of that hole there."

"Well..." The teen began slowly, ignoring the insult, "There seems to be traces of magic all over this area; I'm thinking there might be some sort of concentrated trail that we can follow."

"We better go quickly, then," Seventeen, who had stooped down upon spotting something shining in the phone light, said, "Whoever trapped them two might be the violent type," He held out a small, metal-pointed arrow that had a blood red feather attached to the end.

Trunks took the arrow and scrutinized the point. "This has the rune symbol for the number seven," He said observantly, looking at the jagged _s _chiseled into the tiny bit of metal. "Seven is the most magically powerful number, which also explains why there are seven Dragonballs. They probably jinxed this with something, and then they carved the rune symbol in it to enhance the power of the spell." He dropped the arrow, "We need to get the fuck going before whoever owns that arrow comes after us."

Seventeen followed after Trunks. He had no clue what made him think he could trust this boy to lead him through a vast forest, but he did anyway. He had no clue what Trunks was talking about with the whole rune symbol thing, and the sensing magic bullshit, but Trunks seemed to know what he was talking about. Also, he didn't want to risk just dipping out on the teen, who happens to be the only wizard in their group, and getting caught in whatever dangers Raditz and Goku were facing.

They squished and stumbled their way through the mud that covered their shoes with each step. Their clothes and hair snagged on brambles. The ground they walked on sloped upward, causing them to slip and sometimes fall into the muck, and Trunks seemed as if he had no intentions on stopping any time soon.

Soon, a pungent stench , like loads of rotted meat, hit both of their noses. They had finally trekked to the top of the hill, and had barely begun their descent when they were interrupted.

"Holy shit, what is that?" Seventeen choked, holding his soaked shirt over his nose in a vain attempt to shield himself from the horrid smell, "Watch out," He said as Trunks' backward retreating body ran into his.

The teen looked sick as he directed his beam of light and pointed at the source of his erratic behavior: visible from the light of his soon-to-die phone was the decomposing remains of a male centaur. Most of its horse-like half seemed to be desecrated; the rest of it was in an advanced decomposition state. Its innards bubbled and fizzed, emitting the horribly foul stench. Insects, especially maggots, writhed in and out of the centaur's orifices, and the holes they have eaten through the corpse. The insects caused the flesh to ripple slightly.

Because the blue-tinted face was still mostly intact, Trunks was able to observe that the centaur male had to be no older than he was. Lightning slashed the sky, illuminating the downhill slope. Dotted along the grass and trees were small mounds in the ground in the shape of mutilated corpses in various degrees of decomposition.

"I don't think the owner of that small arrow did this," He said once he was quite sure he had the urge to puke under control.

"No shit," Seventeen replied from behind his shirt, "Are we going to keep going forward?"

Another fork of lightning flashed, giving them a better view of what was going on down the hill. At the foot of the hill was an unblocked cave-like entrance. Coming out of it were torch-wielding reptilian creatures. Behind them they were dragging a large mass, but he couldn't tell what; all the ki signatures were masked.

"I think we ought to at least get closer," Trunks answered, watching the little dots of light from the "That way we can see what's going on, and if that's Raditz and Goku down there."

-8-

Neither Goku nor Raditz had ever been this miserable and genuinely pissed off. They were surrounded by creatures neither of them had the ability to conquer; they were miles and miles-deep in and uncharted forest; and they were covered head-to-foot in mud, bruises and cuts of various depths and lengths from being dragged through what seemed like miles of underground tunnels. Also, the evil little creatures cast a Silencing spell on the two of them, as they caused a particular bit of noise passing through what was the Nursery Chamber of the tunnel system.

The cool, wet, grassy ground was a form of relief for the two Saiyans as they were dragged towards a tree-enclosed hollow directly ahead of the cavern exit. The trees seemed to glow softly with orbs of light in many colors. As soon as they broke through the tree-line, the desolate rain stopped falling on them, as if they not only passed through a line of glowing trees, but through a protective barrier.

The, until now, quiet creatures began yipping again; talking to each other in that strange language. Soon, they stopped. To the Saiyan brother's relief, their bonds were removed, and both the Silencing spell and Immobility spell were lifted, but they still could not fly. Two of the creatures went forward toward a wide space in the trees at the distant end of the hollow.

Under the magical glow of the trees, Goku and Raditz stood and took in their surroundings. Careful not to anger their aggressors, they talked quietly to each other.

"What do you s'pose is going on now?" Raditz asked, staring around the enclosure. Oak and magnolia trees surrounded them; above, lightning continued to streak the sky, and the thunder rumbled threateningly, but the rain was never felt. "Maybe they're taking us to meet their potentate."

Goku snickered, "That's a funny word,"

"This ain't the time to be laughing!" The older Saiyan hissed, shutting his brother up, "We could be in even more danger."

As soon as Raditz said this, the two creatures that had dashed off minutes before came back, speaking loudly in their language. And then, after that, Goku and Raditz had to plug their ears from the chorus of screeching and raucous waving of weapons that ensued.

It was mere moments afterward that the Saiyans realized why there was so much commotion, and why the two torch-carriers left in the first place: they were indeed calling forth what seemed to be their leader.

Gargantuan in size with cobalt-blue scales that glimmered in the light, steely claws, and pearly white fangs that hung over its bottom jaw, a powerful dragon stepped proudly into the hollow.

Raditz inhaled sharply upon viewing the magnificent creature, nearly choking on the foul smell in the air, "Are you fucking kidding me?" He whispered excitedly, despite the smell, and nudging his brother sharply with his elbow, "Its a fucking dragon! I _love _dragons!"

"And maybe we can reason with it!" Goku whispered, the excitement in his own voice mirroring his older brother's. Despite all of the times that he has seen dinosaurs and the Eternal Dragon, it was still jaw-dropping to stand before such a powerful, brilliant beast.

"Dragons are incredibly smart;" Goku continued, "Most species can speak Common. If we can just try to convince it to let us go..."

"Convince?" Raditz lowered his voice, "Have you not noticed the dead bodies stinking up the place? And how much you wanna bet each and every one of them have tried to convince the dragon to let 'em go?"

"Well all of this wouldna happened if you woulda just let _me_ fight you!"

"_You _shouldn't have followed me!"

A low rumble interrupted their spat. The dragon's jaw seemed to be forming words, but the only sounds coming out were guttural, gravelly, animalistic growls. The underlings, however, seemed to know exactly what the dragon was saying.

Raditz and Goku were forced forward by sharp spears jabbing into their mud-covered backs. The dragon's cat-like, molten gold-colored eyes met with Goku's. The Saiyan gave an involuntary shudder upon feeling the beast's icy contempt pierce right through him.

"I am Nidhogg Ormr," The dragon spoke in its growling voice that chilled the Saiyans to their very bones, "And I rule the North-Eastern quadrant in this forest. I know every single creature in this sector, where they live, where they hunt, everything. _You two," _The dragon inclined its great head at the Saiyans, "Are strangers to this place, and are therefore _trespassers_."

Goku seemed to snap back to his senses. "No disrespect, or nothin', but there's been a mistake," He said politely, "We accidentally came across these creatures' encampment 'cause we're lost. We didn't mean to trespass on purpose."

"My slaves, the Kobolds, bring any and all intruders that survive their complex traps to me," The dragon rumbled.

"However, I can sense magical qualities in you; you're both wizards, are you not?"

The younger Saiyan scratched the back of his head. "Vegeta reckons I am, I just ain't learned nothin' in magic."

A distasteful growl erupted from the dragon's great fanged mouth, "I should have known you lot were with Vegeta. I do not wish to waste magical blood, but in this case..."

"Oh, well that's good, then! If you know Vegeta, then you can show us how to get back to his-_ow!"_

Raditz jabbed Goku with his elbow, "Can it!" He hissed, "Did you not just hear what the fuck he said! Its obvious that dragon don't like Vegeta; you might upset it more if you talk about him!"

"I just don't see why; it's not like Vegeta's been litterin' or nothin'."

_"ENOUGH!_" The dragon roared mightily, sending out what happened to be an extremely powerful pulse wave strong enough to knock Raditz and Goku backward. The Saiyans were unscathed, though a bit shell-shocked, however, some of the draconic minions that stood in the line of fire were desecrated. Tiny limbs and bodies flew back against the others, who merely cheered and shrieked disturbingly.

"When that jumped-up so-called _prince_ bought and restored that ancient castle," The dragon continued, watching the Saiyans pick themselves up off of the ground, "He ended up purchasing a large portion of _my _land. Of course, that wretched Ministry of Magic allowed this, since they believe that they have supreme control of all magical areas. Now, thanks to him, I have disgraced myself and my master in the Northern mountains."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Goku said sincerely (Raditz was still star-struck by how awesome the dragon's power was), "But I really don't see how we have somethin' to do with this."

Something that resembled a grin split the dragon's jaw, showing off brilliant white, needle-sharp teeth, "The fact that you are _associated _with that moron is enough to get you killed. But I have a better idea; I will take you to my master, the great Iron Dragon. I will surely redeem myself when I present him with two whole wizards for him to do as he pleases with."

Goku swallowed nervously; Raditz, however had lost his reasoning skills upon learning that they might go see another dragon.

"Now the question is," Nidhogg continued slowly, baring his teeth more, "Should I deliver you dead or alive?"

Standing nearby, hidden by a magnolia tree's branches and wide, waxy leaves, Trunks and Seventeen witnessed the scene.

"How the fuck are we supposed to save them from _that?_" Seventeen asked, glaring disbelievingly at the dragon. Ever since he began staying at the castle, he accepted the strangeness that became a part of his life, but seeing a creature he had only seen in movies and read about in fantasies _in the flesh _left him quite astounded.

"I wish Goten were here; he knows way more about dragons 'n shit than I do," Trunks said, watching Raditz and Goku pick themselves up once more. The dragon seemed so into berating the Saiyans, that it didn't notice neither him nor Seventeen. Instinctively he withdrew his wand, which he stole back from his father's office, from his jeans pocket.

"I hope that this can distract it," He said quietly, mostly to himself. The dragon drew itself up menacingly and reared back for another attack. This time Goku and Raditz braced themselves.

"Thought you couldn't do magic 'cause of your Trace," Seventeen replied, eyes still locked on the dragon, which sent out another attack wave.

"We're cloaked under some powerful enchantments, so I'm hoping that it'll cover-up my measly bit of magic I'm about to cast, and override the Trace placed upon me."

More questions formed in the older man's mind, but he decided its better to just watch than keep Trunks from doing what he had to do to save Raditz and Goku any longer. He had never watched any magic being performed, Vegeta was very careful to keep that to himself, so he was rather eager to see what kind of tricks Trunks had up his sleeve to distract the dragon.

"_Expecto Patronum,_" The teen muttered, giving his wand a complicated sort-of wave; from the end, a silvery, ghost-like fox landed lightly on the patched grass beneath them. Perfect in every detail, the fox glowed brightly and gave its caster a politely puzzled look. "That way," He commanded, "Toward the dragon," He directed the fox toward the dragon, and the Patronus seemed to understand.

Quick like the lightning in the sky, it slunk off through the grass, looking like nothing more than a streak of light.

The both of them watched with bated breath as the fox, unnoticed by the dragon, Saiyans, and dragon-minions, slipped easily through the tall grass. And then, once near the center of the copse, it leapt right in front of the dragon's face.

The double-team fight between the dragon and the Saiyans immediately halted; The minions stopped their riotous chants and weapon-waving; countless pairs of eyes followed the glowing fox, their owners befuddled and speechless.

"Fuck," Trunks swore under his breath as the fox disappeared through the trees on the other side of the hollow. The only thing the patronus managed to achieve was delaying Raditz and Goku's death by a few seconds. Without a second thought, the dragon reared back to attack the Saiyans once more.

He turned from the resumed attacks to face Seventeen, "I don't know what to do," He said hopelessly, "I can't face a fucking dragon, and neither can you or _them_."

"What about those guys?" Seventeen asked, pointing through the leaves.

Trunks had to do a double-take in order to fully grasp what Seventeen was talking about. Invading the hollow from all sides; charging after the dragon and its minions, were about thirty-five Ministry officials. They swarmed the creatures, stunning them with a barrage of offensive, but not fatal, spells.

In the fray, Goku and Raditz seemed to be ignored. They dodged the multicolored sparks flying around them, and ducked out of the way just in time to keep from being trampled from the furious dragon.

The dragon roared and sent pulse waves in all directions. The specially-trained wizards, however, performed complicated spells that produced nets and rope to stabilize the raging beast.

"Fuck this!" Raditz hollered to his brother over the din of screeches, yells, explosions, and roars, "We needa get the fuck outta this place!" With all speed, he and Goku dipped and dodged the obstructions, and then a hand wrapped firmly around his wide wrist.

"We're this way!" Seventeen said, leading both of the surprised Saiyans toward the massive magnolia tree that he and Trunks were hiding within.

Trunks watched with bated breath, tapping his wand nervously in his palm, as he watched the trio struggle to get back to the hiding spot. Suddenly, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and wheeled his body around roughly. He jumped violently upon facing his father's severely livid expression.

"I hope," The prince growled menacingly. His hand tightened its hold on the teen's shoulder, making him wince in pain, "I hope you realize that you've just severely fucked up this time."

"M-me?" Trunks stammered, unable to shake his father's vice-like grip, "What did I do?"

Vegeta jerked Trunks closer, "You are goddamn lucky that the Ministry registered two magical being invading the dragon's inner territory, and not a _Muggle_. Do you have any idea what would have-" The prince paused his tirade as the three others ducked under the low-growing leaves.

"Vegeta!" Goku exclaimed in relief, "When did you get here?"

"When the Ministry came banging on my door!" Vegeta responded heatedly, "And you need to do something about your woman, because she's been blowing up my fucking phone for the past two hours!" With another furious scowl, he flared his ki and tore through the tree's limbs and into the darkness.

With a quick glance at one another, paired with a feeling of foreboding, the other four flew off after Vegeta.

-0-

After the severe grilling he received from his father, Trunks was lucky he got off with his just wand being taken from him once more, video games and computer taken, and a drastic allowance cut. Vegeta was pissed off beyond reason with just him, and not the idiot who started the whole thing: Raditz.

The injustice of it all boiled his blood as he entered his bedroom, fresh from his desperately-needed shower. He dropped the towel that was wrapped around his waist onto the floor and began to dress into loose, comfortable clothes.

His anger only intensified when he spotted his thoroughly-abused stack of books. In the middle of his and his father's argument, he forgot to ask him to restore them. He subconsciously grabbed the strange book from the stack, which was still unharmed, and sat on his bed with it.

His whole body ached from the trek, which happened to span across five or more hours. It was a miracle that they even made it out of the forest alive considering how deep within the dark depths they traveled.

Again, he wished he had never went. He thumbed through the tiny journal, mind still reeling from the argument that happened merely half an hour before.

_"Why the hell should I be responsible for them?" Trunks complained, watching the last of the Ministry officials leave out of the castle, reassuring Vegeta that everything was alright, "They're grown, and they're your people." He gave a smirk worthy of a back-handed smack to the face._

_Vegeta fought the urge to throttle his son to the ground, "Surely, common sense would tell you to merely warn them that this area is heavily-guarded, especially around specific dwellings. If someone, other than a witch or wizard, had entered that area with you or anyone associated with myself, and the Ministry found out about it, we all would have found ourselves in a severe amount of trouble."_

_"Well, no one found out about Seventeen, Dad, and no one is in trouble, so chill out."_

_The prince's expression soured, "I want to believe that this will never happen again," He said, still trying to remain calm, "But I have a hard time doing so, knowing just how careless you can be-"_

_"STOP BLAMING ME!" Trunks hollered, "I tried! I fucking tried to save them, okay! I did the Patronus and-"_

_"You performed underage magic?" _

_"Yeah, but it was a life or death situation-"_

_"That doesn't matter! You're damn sure lucky that you weren't caught!" A calloused finger was brandished, and the prince's eyes narrowed, "You're treading on very thin ice, boy-"_

_"Well, I don't give a flying fuck! What the hell are you going to do, anyway?"_

Trunks let out a low groan. Why does shit always have to happen to him? He had been through hell and back; he was tired, but not sleepy; and he really wanted to jump back on his studies of the journal, since he didn't have electronics to occupy his time.

Still, other distractions plagued his mind. Seventeen, mostly. Despite everything his mind screamed at him, he still gave into the saucy stripper. He had no idea what it was about him, other than his looks, that he found so compelling. The guy certainly was fiery, bold, fun and perhaps a bit enigmatic.

He tried to deny Seventeen. After all, he fucked his father, Vegeta; also, he had Goten to think about. However, he and Goten hadn't gone further than oral, and an embarrassing attempt at phone sex. He was quite certain that he could get laid at that very moment, if he asked. And oh, was he tempted!

Before he made any decision at all, a sharp tap on his window broke him from his reverie. "Holy fuck!" Trunks said, quickly sliding off of the bed to open the window. Soon, Goten, whom Trunks had forgotten he had made plans to hang out with, clambered inside the wildly-decorated bedroom.

"It ain't rainin' no more, but it sure as hell is cold up here!" He said, quickly shutting the window behind him to keep the heat from escaping any further.

"Tell me about it," Trunks agreed whole-heartedly, being that he had had quite enough of being drenched in ice-cold water and mud. He took his place back on the bed, not wanting to do much moving around at all.

"Damn, you're not looking too sharp," Goten observed, sitting on the side of the bed with his feet dangling off of the edge. His eyes roved over Trunks' gray-tinged pale face and darkly-shadowed eyes, "You should have dried your hair completely."

Disbelieving laughter escaped the older half-Saiyan's lips, "What the fuck?" He asked, completely confused.

"Mom said that you get sick when you leave your hair wet."

"You get sick from bacteria, dumb-ass, not wet hair."

Goten shrugged, then let his eyes wander over to the book at Trunks' side, "Still ain't figured that thing out yet?"

"I haven't," Trunks sighed, "There aren't any books 'round here that can translate this writing."

"Have you tried asking your dad?" The younger half-Saiyan grabbed the book and turned it over in his hand, "I'm pretty sure he might know something or whatever about this book."

"Fuck that, and fuck him," Trunks growled.

"Uh-oh, what happened this time?"

And Trunks gave an account of most of what happened in the woods, being careful to leave out the portions where he had gotten lost with Seventeen, and the things that happened therein. He was a little impressed with his ability to amend his story without flinching or wavering; he was confident that Goten wouldn't find out.

Goten could tell, when Trunks was through with his story, that the older teen was pretty shaken up, and quite upset. He wanted to do something to make him feel better, but he had no idea what.

"Is there anything that I can do to help you?" He asked.

"It would be great if you could go and ask Dad about this stupid book for me."

The younger half-Saiyan blinked, "Me?" He asked, placing a broad-palmed hand upon his chest, "I-is he even awake this late? I mean, it's after midnight..."

"Dad normally stays up late doing whatever; but if you don't wanna do it, you don't have to," Trunks gave a tired sigh, "I don't know why I wanna figure this thing out, but I do. I feel like this book's hiding something important."

Goten was silent for a moment, as if contemplating a life or death decision. He honestly did not want to go on an adventure through the castle in search of the ill-tempered prince, but, again, he wanted to do something to make Trunks' night better.

-8-

Goten's eyes locked on his prey walking up the staircase that led to the second floor, which was where he was standing. It was nearly impossible to tell what was going on in the prince's head, as he wore his trademark poker face, but the slight slump to his posture was a tell-tale sign that he had a long, stressful day.

Cold, black eyes met with his; Goten had to say something to break the silence. "I was just lookin' for you, Vegeta." He said, trying to sound polite. Still, this was the first thing he had said to the prince since the day on Mt. Paozu, and frankly, he wasn't sure if he was quite over all the drama that ensued weeks ago. However, he promised Trunks results.

Vegeta's face expressed mild intrigue. "And what could you possibly want with me at this late hour?" He responded, eyes never leaving the younger male's as he continued his ascent.

Goten's face burned under the almost challenging stare he was being given, but his composure never wavered. "Uh, yeah," He started, scratching the back of his head in a very Goku-like manner. He stepped forward automatically, meeting Vegeta at the top stair, "Trunks wanted me to ask you about this," He held the journal out and Vegeta took it into his hands, "He's been trying to figure out how to translate that book for about a week now, and none of the symbols match any in the rune translation books here."

"That's because these aren't ancient runes," Vegeta responded, handing the book back, "This is Saiyan language."

Goten looked as if all of his fan-boy fantasies had come true. He looked down at the strange symbols as if they were written in pure gold, amazed what he had just learned. He looked back up at Vegeta as if he were hit with the purest light. "That's so cool!" He said, voice quivering with excitement.

Vegeta couldn't help but feel a little amusement at the youngest Son. It was insane how much like Goku he could be. "So," He said, smirking, "I suppose I should take you to the library?" His tone was mocking, and his smile broadened at the slightly lost look on Goten's face, "That is, if your _comfortable_ with that."

The tone of Vegeta's voice caused a light blush to form across Goten's nose. He didn't know why he was feeling so shy, but Vegeta was acting strange. "Its all good..." He said quietly, not altogether sure if going into the depths of the castle alone with the prince was such a good idea.


	7. Scandalous

**Warning: Explicit scenes. You have been warned. **

A month exactly before the start of term, Goten sat in the waiting room of the highly-rated family therapist, Dr. Mitchell, quietly listening to music through headphones and staring blearily at a page of an old magazine. The doctor and Goten's family were in their second week of their weekly family counseling sessions, and Goten was having an extremely hard time keeping his eyes open while he waited for his turn to be questioned.

He had been spending entire nights at the castle behind his parent's back since that fateful weekend he discovered what the true meaning of the journal was. He was determined to figure out the meaning of the symbols, unfortunately, once Trunks found out what Vegeta had said the book was about, he lost most of his interest. The other problem was, Trunks was pretty much Goten's only hope of getting the book translated, since Trunks had next to nothing to do all day, and Goten did not, courtesy of his mother.

Still, Trunks worked, if only to please Goten. Much to Goten's annoyance, however, the work was slow, as Trunks wanted to make sure that there were no mistakes, and he was easily distracted. While Goten wanted to make headway on the translating, his boyfriend wanted to make-out.

Goten felt bad about being negligent to Trunks' wants and needs, but learning first-hand how Saiyan life was took up his entire interest. One could say that it was thanks to Vegeta that this little obsession had occurred. If it hadn't been for the fact that Vegeta was so generous with his help, Goten wouldn't be leaving Trunks frustrated, and he would have the sleep he required.

He actually found it quite strange that Vegeta was so willing to help. Was it that he was happy that someone took interest in Saiyan heritage? Whatever it was, Goten couldn't help but think about that night.

_Goten stood meekly beside the Saiyan prince, who was running a forefinger along the spines of organized books on an eye-level shelf in the castle's vast library. He watched quietly as Vegeta chose two books: one about as thick and broad as a school text book, the other looked much like a dictionary with tabs on the outside of the pages._

_Their search for a Saiyan-to-Common translation guide was uncomfortably quiet, at least in Goten's opinion. Goten felt as if he should say something to the older man, but he assumed that Vegeta preferred to work in silence. That still didn't stop the fact that he was bursting at the seams with questions of Saiyan heritage, if there were any inter-galactic wars, and even King Vegeta's rise to power._

_Barely another minute passed, and urge to speak became unbearable; he decided to take his chances, since Vegeta was willing to help him so far. "Can you understand what's in that book?" He asked, "I-I mean without them translators."_

_"Those translators," Vegeta corrected without thinking and without looking away from the text book-like translator he was examining, "And, yes," He finally closed the book and handed the lot to Goten, "Though it has been decades since I've done anything that requires my knowledge of the Saiyan culture and all its intricacies, I still remember everything vividly."_

_For once, since he was a young child, Goten felt a small spark of admiration for the prince. Goten was so sure that, in Vegeta's sentence, the man was speaking about more than just learning standard school-stuff and Saiyan basic training, he was talking about his experiences as an elite warrior. This, to him, was truly moving, though Vegeta has all but renounced the Saiyan way, and he, Goten, personally wants nothing to do with being a warrior._

_Though he held conflicting opinions about Vegeta, he knew that the prince was a deeper person than he allows most to perceive. Most of their friends and acquaintances viewed Vegeta as nothing more than an ex-killer with a superiority complex, reclusive nature, and a foul temper. However, what they all have overlooked was that Vegeta was more than just a ruthless killer, he was a veteran; a veteran that has seen (and caused) more deaths that would drive a much weaker man, like himself, completely insane. What Vegeta had more-than-likely been through was, and is still very much considered, in society to date, highly abnormal. _

_Quite frankly, Goten was impressed that Vegeta still possessed as much stability as he does. That is not to say, of course, that Goten thought that the prince was completely sane. One would have to be slightly insane to have gone through the emotional and mental upheaval that any of the old Saiyan veterans were demanded to go through._

_"You don't have to just stand there," Vegeta said, interrupting Goten's thoughts, "You've got what you wanted, so, unless you have something else you need, you may leave."_

_"I-I'm sorry," Goten apologized, "I guess I'm just amazed at how much no one knows about the Saiyans, much less about you." He then shut his mouth quickly, afraid that he was getting too bold. If its one thing his mother taught him during his very humble upbringing, it was modesty and humility (though he didn't use these redeeming qualities one hundred percent of the time)._

_"Well its about time someone showed some interest in the proud Saiyan heritage," He gave a small, amused smile, "And you will find that this journal that you hold in your arms is rich in information about us Saiyans, particularly concerning and inside look the nobles of our race. You see, this book contains the annals of my father and his reign of supremacy until his death."_

_Needless to say, Goten was stunned. A chance to learn the secrets and complexities of the Saiyan lifestyle from the king of Saiyans himself was really quite exciting. He looked from the book to Vegeta, unable to hide his awe; the only response he was able to come up with was a quiet, "That's awesome."_

_His expression faltered under the slightly intrigued look on Vegeta's face. He had no clue what to make of it, but he knew that he had to look quite stupid staring back with nothing to say except, "Uh..."_

_"Right," Vegeta said, breaking the eye-contact, "Well, you have what you want, so I'll be leaving." He turned to walk off, but Goten impulsively reached out and laid a hand on Vegeta's shoulder to stop him._

_"I-I just wanna thank you," Goten said quickly upon seeing Vegeta's slightly impatient expression. He then quickly pulled his hand back, almost as if he were burned._

_"And so you have," Vegeta responded with a small, polite nod. His eyes briefly scanned the teen before him before leaving out of sight, leaving Goten slightly puzzled, yet excited nonetheless._

A gentile hand was placed on Goten's shoulder, breaking him from his reverie. He followed the hand up the arm until he fond himself looking up at his mother.

"My turn?" He asked, sliding the headphones down around his neck.

Chi-Chi nodded. She was still obviously upset at Goku for not showing up after promising to, but not quite as upset as before. She seemed to have gotten a lot off of her mind. "Just be open with him," She said, "He's one of the best, and you don't want to waste his time."

"And I'm not five," Goten replied jokingly, standing up, "I got this, don't worry," He reassured, laying the old magazine down and walking through the doorway that Chi-Chi had just exited.

He entered the spacious, impeccably neat office with a great window's view of the city below. He loved the view ever since his first appointment with the doctor. If he could, he'd stare out of that window all day.

"Good afternoon," Came the smart, professional baritone of Dr. Mitchell, "Please, sit down, if you will," He said, gesturing at a small chair situated across from the wide, dark wood desk placed in the center of the room before the windows. Goten could see why his mother seemed so excited about the doctor. He was handsome, in a dignified sort of way, and sharply dressed, not a crease out of place in his suit; his dark, faintly grayed hair was perfectly parted at the side, so not a single bald spot showed; everything about the guy screamed order and perfection, qualities Chi-Chi admired.

"I do not wish to rush," Dr. Mitchell said, "But my talk with your mother lasted longer than anticipated. So, last week we ended with you mentioning your mother's disapproval of your best friend, er, _Trunks_, I believe you said his name was?"

"Yes, sir," Goten responded politely, but then remained quiet afterward. He knew about the doctor-patient confidentiality policy, but that didn't quell the mistrust he still had for the stranger sitting before him. Also, the quiet, cool-colored setting was making him extremely drowsy.

"Right, and why do you think she has done this, Goten?"

At the sound of his name, Goten broke out of his miniature daze, "Done what..._sir?_ Oh, about me and Trunks not seeing each other? Well, she thinks Trunks is very rude and a bad influence on me." He then placed an elbow on the arm of his chair and propped his heavy-feeling head in his palm. He blinked sleepily up at the doctor, waiting for him to respond.

"That is a very general explanation. Forgive me for saying so, but you aren't quite as chatty as you were last week. You seem to not be getting enough rest."

"Summer coursework has been r-r-rough," Goten yawned.

"Pulling all-nighters?"

"Yeah, I-" Then the teen blinked and straightened his sitting posture, "No disrespect, but what exactly are you getting at?"

"You're sneaking out at night; and there's no use trying to deny it. I've seen it plenty of times; parents forbid their child from seeing a friend, then suddenly the child is out later, and tired more often than usual." His mouth then twitched into a sort of smile, "But do not worry, I am forbidden by law to say anything to anyone."

Goten couldn't hide his expression of relief, "Alright, ya got me," He threw his hands up in form of surrender, followed by a lazy grin, "Yeah, I've been seein' him. Mom'll kill me, though, if she ever finds out. I mean, I really don't see the issue. Sure he tried to get me to elope with hi-" He then shut his mouth, feeling that he said too much. How was he to know if the doctor was against same-sex relationships?

The doctor smiled again, "To be quite frank, Goten, you aren't going to say anything that's going to shock me. Trust me, I've seen it all. I am merely here to listen and make a professional judgment on how best to help your family's particular case, _not_ to judge you on your personal preferences."

For the rest of their shortly-cut session, which lasted a grueling forty-five minutes, Goten answered the questions to the best of his abilities. He knew that these sessions were a big deal, and his mother was having to scrape up every dime she could to pay for such an exclusive doctor, but his attentiveness was waning with his capability to stay awake.

Still, the doctor was able to find out quite a bit about Goten and his rocky relationship with Trunks. He did, however notice that Goten still had enough sense to deliberately skirt around mentioning Goku. It seemed that Goku was a particularly sensitive subject, and the boy had no comment as to why his father never showed up.

While wrapping things up, he stressed the importance of Goku attending the next meeting, being that he had to talk with him privately before talking to all three of them together. He also made mention to Chi-Chi that he could talk to Goku at home if he absolutely refuses to come to La Porte, the city where his office is.

-0-

Back at the castle, the missing person in question, Goku, was busy hiding there. Midway through the flight to La Porte, Goku used his IT to disappear, then reappear inside of the outside of the castle. Normally, the castle's protective enchantments kept out Apparators and other unwelcome guests, but the spells didn't register IT, since performing that skill requires ki, not magic.

"I really don't like this therapy guy, Vegeta," Goku whined as he tailed behind Vegeta, both of whom were walking across the gardens to the hall.

"Then tell your wife that you don't want to go, and stop being a bitch about it!" Vegeta ground out, stepping through the open glass door, "Honestly, if I wasn't fucking you, I'd have to question whether you had balls or not."

Goku's face turned bright red, coupled with a spark of annoyance, "I'd have to say the same thing about you from them baby punches you were throwing at me earlier when we were fightin'."

Vegeta turned around, narrowing his eyes dangerously, "What the fuck was that?" He stepped closer to Goku, who was standing in the threshold with the glass door still open, "_Baby_ punches? I'd have to kick your ass for that,"

"Well, then, why don't you?" Goku challenged, bringing himself to full height, ready to fight.

"Because, I have to get ready to go somewhere!" The prince hissed through gritted teeth, losing his edge.

Goku felt as though a balloon deflated inside of him; his face fell into a pathetic simper, "Why?" He all but whined, finally stepping completely inside and shutting the door.

"It's honestly none of your business," The older man said stiffly, "But," He continued seeing the annoyingly weak look on Goku's face, "If you just _have _to know, Bulma has business to take care of, and I must go for appearances."

"So, does that mean I have to go home?"

"That is entirely up to you, but you cannot stay here, because no one will _be _here." Vegeta then sighed, "I highly suggest you man-up and face your wife. I have told you numeral times before that you shouldn't let some bitch tell you what to do. You _are _a Saiyan, after all."

Goku bit his bottom lip, momentarily lost in thought. His dark brown eyes met with Vegeta's, "How do you make it work with Bulma?" He asked rather quietly, as if he were afraid to ask.

"We didn't, and we still don't," Vegeta responded, "_You _are evidence of that. But we are merely able to coexist simply because of our high-profile careers. Surely you know better than to try to compare your relationship to mine."

The younger Saiyan didn't know what to say. It was very true that Vegeta and Bulma's relationship could not be compared to his own and Chi-Chi's mostly because of their lifestyles. It was like comparing apples to oranges. Each women had different methods on how to deal with being married to Saiyan men, despite the fact that these methods didn't work.

"I dunno what to think anymore," Goku finally said after a moment's silence, "I dunno what I want."

Vegeta scrutinized Goku, "Just so that we are clear," He said seriously, "I have no intention on leaving my wife for anyone else, despite our current situation."

"I wouldn't ask you to," Goku replied in equal seriousness.

-0-

Yamcha walked into the view of Bulma full-length mirror holding a dazzling gold necklace up to the equally as dazzling woman it belonged to, "Is this the one you wanted?" He asked uncertainly.

Bulma smiled, "Yeah, that's the one," She answered, tossing the long, spirally hair extensions (that she spent hours at the salon for) over her shoulder so that her neck was exposed.

"You look incredible tonight," Yamcha said softly, taking Bulma's hint and encircling her neck with the necklace, "Makes me wish I was your date."

"Its not a _date,_" The woman laughed, tossing her hair back in place, "Its just for business reasons. If all goes well tonight, my company will have a break-through in sales."

"But isn't that what you have sales people hired for?" The ex-bandit asked, sliding his hands over Bulma's shoulders and down her arms.

Bulma spun around so that she was facing her lover, "Of course I wouldn't put myself out like this if it were for any Joe-Schmo client, but this is the _CEO_ of a multi-billion-dollar foreign computer-parts corporation. If we can sway him to use our products as packaging for _his_ products, our profits will increase tremendously."

"Oh, so that's why you've chosen _this _particular dress!" Yamcha teased, indicating the backless dark-blue halter dress that Bulma wore so fittingly. To add to the effect, he prodded the swell of the woman's breast with his forefinger.

"Stop it, you immature jock!" Bulma laughed, slapping away the offending hand, "And _no_ I didn't wear this to show off for the guy! I just wanted to show off for Vegeta!"

Yamcha sucked in his breath and rolled his eyes, "Figures. Well why you're off showing your tits off for someone you _supposedly _hate, I'll be out as well."

"I was just kidding!" Bulma insisted. Normally, that sort of remark would incite an argument of epic-proportions, but Bulma was in too much of a good mood to let even Yamcha's attitude upset her. "_Anyway,_" She continued, stepping closer to Yamcha, purposely pressing her chest against him, "Maybe I'll let you take it off of me sometime..." She stood on her bare toes, wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and gazed up at him.

"Can't we do it now?" Yamcha asked a little impatiently, smiling playfully and placing his hands upon either side of Bulma's waist, pulling her tighter against him. His eyes quickly darted down to the full breasts pressed against him, then back up to their owner's eyes.

"Pervert," She said, placing a red-stained kiss on the side of Yamcha's face, "You'll have to wait until later, because I have to go make sure that Trunks is ready so we can leave."

"Oh, you're bringing him, too? I thought it was just going to be you and Vegeta?"

"I want him to go because I think he'd appreciate feeling included," Bulma said, checking her reflection and re-applying her signature bright-red lipstick. After she was certain she was of satisfactory appearance, she sat down on her bed and strapped her feet into a pair of uncomfortable-looking, shiny black heels.

"Right," She said, standing up and checking the time on her phone, "Text me whenever you're done doing whatever," She said, "I'm assuming you're going out with Turles again?"

"Yeah," Yamcha mumbled, knowing that Turles was still a rather tender subject around Bulma, "I dunno what he's all got planned."

"Well, just don't do anything stupid," Bulma laughed, grabbing Yamcha's face in her hand and bringing him down for a swift kiss, "Don't forget to get up with me later, okay?"

"I won't," Yamcha promised, kissing his lover before she left the room. She heard Yamcha close the door behind him as she walked down the hall in the opposite direction of him. Her flowing dress danced around her knees as she walked briskly walked down the hall, the sound of her thin heels echoing through the spacious corridor as they hit the floor.

-0-

At the other end of the castle, Trunks pushed himself away from the tedious task of translating the journal that he was no longer interested in. It wouldn't be half as bad if the symbols weren't so similar, the words weren't so complicated, and if Goten weren't so damned obsessed with it.

He looked over at the expensive maroon and black dinner suit that his mother had purchased from a high-end shop in the city. He wasn't at all looking forward to a night out with his parents, and he had expressed his protest quite loudly to his mother earlier. Needless to say, she still stood her ground.

Just as he lifted the suit so he could remove the protective plastic film off of it, he heard the sound of his unlocked bedroom door opening, then shutting softly. His temper flared, thinking it was his mother, and he whirled around saying, "Ever heard of knocking?"

"Leave your door locked, then." The intruder retorted coldly.

Trunks' fierce expression suddenly softened upon seeing who had entered his room. It was none other than Seventeen, and he had just ruined a what could have been a pleasant greeting. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry," He said sincerely, "I didn't know you were coming back here."

"Then check your phone more often, you jerk," Seventeen said, playfully pushing against Trunks' chest.

Trunks sighed, "I had it turned off so Goten wouldn't have the urge to call me. Its bad enough I have to go somewhere," He gestured dramatically at the suit, "when I don't wanna. I don't need him whining about that stupid book or his stupid therapy."

"Well, isn't that too bad?" Seventeen said in mock-disappointment, "I was gonna ask you to go out with me tonight."

Trunks' eyes widened slightly, "L-like go on a _date_ with you?"

Seventeen shrugged and smiled, "If you want it to be a date," He then took Trunks' hand in his and looked teasingly at the teen's mouth, "Agree to be my boyfriend tonight, and I'll show you a good time."

A faint blush formed across the half-Saiyan's nose as the older man's proximity to him increased, "But what about Raditz?"

"What about him?" Seventeen said, taking a step back, "Would you honestly pass up on a chance to have the best night you'll ever have at an exclusive party...for _that?" _He jabbed his finger at the clothes on Trunks' bed as if they were something indecent.

Trunks could feel his mother's presence drawing nearer. He really did want to take Seventeen up on his amazing offer, but he also knew his mother wouldn't take the news of him going out with a guy like _that_ instead of making her look good for her clients. Still, he didn't have much time, so he did the first thing that came to mind: "I'll go with you." He said.

"Perfect," Seventeen replied with a charming smile, "I'll come get you when its time to leave," He continued, walking toward the door. He then stopped and turned halfway, "Oh, and whoever chose that color for you to wear needs to be shot on sight."

Not two seconds after Seventeen had left the room, Bulma entered, looking not quite as cheerful as she did the first time she visited.

"What was he doing in here?" She asked, though the question sounded more like a demand, "And secondly, why aren't you dressed?"

Trunks sucked in his breath and looked at the ceiling in exasperation, "He just wanted to tell me something, didn't he?" He groaned, "What the fuck ever! And I don't wanna go to that lame dinner! I wanna do something fun since I've got school in just a month!"

"You know how important this is!" Bulma expressed, "And we need to leave, like, _now!_ Your father is waiting in the foyer, and you know how he doesn't like waiting!"

"Mom, the most fun I've had this summer has been going to Magic tournaments and sitting around the house not doing shit! Don't take away this awesome chance to actually do something with _cool _people!"

Bulma checked the time on her phone, "I really don't like this, Trunks," She said, shaking her head, "_But_, time is short, and I don't want to argue further. I'll trust you to go this once," She held her hand up, as Trunks grinned broadly and looked as if he were about to interrupt, "_However_, whatever trouble you get into, you will have to sort out on your own."

"I won't let anything happen," Trunks promised, allowing his mother to kiss him on the side of the face. He knew his mother was completely bluffing when she said that he would have to sort out his own problems. Him getting in trouble would make his mother look bad, and she never lets anything incriminating leak out into the public thanks to her many connections and a seemingly endless supply of pay-off money.

His heart raced with excitement as he chose something to wear once his mother left. He could only imagine what kind of party Seventeen had invited him to, being that the only one's he's ever attended were his mother and father's business-related ones.

He didn't think that Goten would be showing up later, either, being that last time they were together, they fought over how they spend their time together. Finally, Trunks was going to be included with possibly all of the city's A-List citizens, which totally beats a night of translating, card-playing, and singing anime karaoke. For once, he was going to be appreciated for his status, and not seen as just some bratty, stuck-up, latch-key kid. Having a hot guy at his side wasn't a bad perk, either.

-0-

"Where's the boy?" Vegeta asked when he saw his dolled-up wife finally enter the foyer.

"He's not coming," Bulma responded, "Says he's got other plans," She smiled pleasantly at her husband, who was wearing a simple black suit that did nothing to aid his fierce looks; on the contrary, he looked even more intimidating.

"No matter," The prince replied airily, "We need to get going if we're going to get to our reserved table in time."

Bulma nodded and followed her husband outside. "We're going in a capsule-plane, because I'll mess my hair up flying with you."

Vegeta said nothing, but looked at his wife who was readying a capsulated air-craft. The elbow-length lazy spirals of hair aided her in appearing no older than the day he met her. It has been quite a while since he had really taken notice of her; thanks to her mother's genetics, and the resources to use only the latest in exercise gear and dieting regimes, she was able to retain most of her youthful looks.

"Do you wanna fly, or do you want me to?" She asked, breaking Vegeta's train of thought.

"It doesn't matter," Vegeta said, walking toward the passenger's seat entrance. Bulma rolled her eyes and climbed the steps to the pilot's side of the craft.

Minutes later, they were rising steadily into the air. They flew over the darkening forest in silence; Bulma was unsure as to how to strike-up a conversation, being that this was their first time going out alone together in an incredibly long time. Vegeta, however, was indifferent to the silence, as he just wanted to get the whole ordeal over with.

Of course, however, Bulma, unable to keep her mouth shut for long, had to break the silence, "I saw what you did back there." She said with a smug smile.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "If this is another one of your stupid accusatory speeches about Kakarrot and I, I'm not interested in conversing with you."

"No, no, I wasn't going to say anything about that," The woman said in her defense, "I was talking about that look you gave me earlier."

"What fucking look? I didn't give you a _look._"

"You think I look good tonight. Admit it, after all the people you sleep around with, you still find me attractive."

"I never once said I _didn't _find you attractive. If I had thought that about you, you'd have known it."

Bulma smiled to herself, unable to stop the urge. So Vegeta still found her sexy, eh? That was something she would never expect considering both of their present circumstances. Also, her helping Chi-Chi out with getting family therapy started had brought back old thoughts of the chance of actually salvaging her own family.

"You look good, as well, Vegeta," She said, glancing long enough to catch a "don't push it" look from her husband. "Don't be such a hard-ass," She continued, "Everyone loves a compliment." She ended her encouraging words with a trademark flirty wink.

-0-

"He's a whiny little kid!" Raditz griped as he followed Seventeen down the corridor leading toward Trunks' room.

"_You're _whining," Seventeen responded flatly, "And, besides, you're the one who said you can't go because you're spending the day in Hicksville with your brother tomorrow."

"But out of all the people to ask out, you ask a fucking toddler-actin' sissy-boy!"

"I _like _him," the smaller man said with a smile, "And I'm looking forward to having a fun night with him."

"You're lookin' to fuck him, is what you're doin'." The Saiyan said moodily, flicking his tail in agitation.

Seventeen's smile widened at the thought of how easy it would be to seduce Trunks into bed with him, "We'll have to see," He said, "Ah, there he is." His eyes locked on his date, who was making sure his bedroom door was locked. Beside him, Raditz rolled his eyes and grumbled inaudibly.

"I hope I'm not over-dressed," Trunks said, looking down at the solid black button-up shirt and darkly-dyed jeans.

"It doesn't matter," Seventeen responded casually, "You won't be in them long." A corner of his mouth turned up to form a smirk, and his eyes moved downward over the teen's body.

Trunks' face became rather blotchy and red with extreme embarrassment, "I-we-I mean-"

"Gimmie a mother fuckin' break," Raditz growled as Trunks stumbled over his words.

"I'm just joking," Seventeen laughed, "Anyway, we need to dip out before we're late and they lock the door."

-0-

There was no telling how late it was by the time Seventeen and Trunks landed in a shady alley. Trunks had to exercise a lot of self-control not to demonstrate his thrill over being part of La Porte's lavish main strip's night-scene. The feeling of freedom and carelessness was definitely something he'd have to get used to quick, because he had neither of his parents, or Goten's level-headedness to set him straight.

"Let's go," Seventeen said, gently ushering Trunks into the light by placing his hand on the teen's lower back.

The overall effect of the strip was initially overwhelming to Trunks' unfortunately sensitive senses, courtesy of his Saiyan heritage. He felt as if he had just turned on the lights after being in the dark; nothing but neon in every color imaginable soaked into his retinas as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Glittering high-dollar cars roared by; groups of people of all sizes, from couples to crowds of a dozen, chatted and gossiped happily amongst each other as they took up portions of sidewalk and queued before club entrances.

"Where're we going?" Trunks asked once he got a hold of his bearings.

Seventeen pointed to an enormous structure directly across the busy road, "That resort over there, called Minaci," He said. He led Trunks to where a crowd waiting for the cross-walk light to change stood, "That's where the guy that owns the club I work at is having his annual summer party. Its pretty exclusive, so consider yourself lucky I invited you."

A moment later, the light changed and the crowd of people were allowed to cross the street. Trunks was rather impressed as he came closer to his destination, for the building was so tall and wide, that it looked like it was threatening to fall forward. Multi-colored lights lit up its surface, and huge jets of water shot up from a fountain system before the building.

Expensive luxury cars lined up in front of the loop-around covered driveway of the resort. The car's posh owners exited the vehicles, leaving their keys to trusted valets, and made for the entrance. Used to his parents taking care of the formalities, Trunks had no clue how to behave around such elite people, especially at a party. He certainly hoped that Seventeen would help him not make an ass of himself.

"You look nervous," Seventeen said as they stopped before the glass doors, "I thought you'd be used to this sort of stuff."

"My parents never permitted me to go to these sort of parties," Trunks admitted. Hopefully, Seventeen wouldn't think he was too much of a wimp to handle such a setting and send him home.

"Don't worry," The older man said, "You'll get used to it quite quickly." He then pushed the door open that lead to the resort's atrium.

-0-

Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away, Bulma and Vegeta were busy wrapping things up with Brady Trevino. It seemed that good humor, coupled with half a dozen martinis, made the rotund red-faced man quite quick to seal their deal.

Aside from the man's love of hookers and extravagant spending, the guy had a clean-slate in the public's eye. Bulma had really hit it big! Bulma was personally beside herself with joy from scoring such a high-ranking client.

"I'll be sure to come by your office first thing Monday morning!" The tipsy CEO boomed as he, Bulma and Vegeta stood outside of the restaurant. He held out a thick hand to Bulma, and she placed her much smaller hand in his to shake it.

He then turned to Vegeta and held his hand out to him, "Thanks for buying the drinks, buddy!" He said, shaking the Saiyan's hand and clapping him a bit roughly on the shoulder, "I'll have to return the favor some day!"

"I'll remember that," Vegeta said with a smile. And with that, he and Bulma said their farewells and watched the CEO's driver open the door to his luxury car.

Bulma swung her arms out in front of her and clapped them together, making her glittering handbag to swing, "So," She began cheerfully, "Do you wanna celebrate?" She beamed at her husband, still feeling the high of her success.

Vegeta gave a small chuckle at his wife's antics, "I think I agreed to just dinner, not drinks."

The woman rolled her blue eyes, "Seriously, Vegeta, its just a couple of drinks! I mean, I can put the plane on autopilot, so its not like we'll be drunk flying, or anything!"

"Will you quit being so loud!" Vegeta hissed, grabbing Bulma's wrists, "Fine, we'll have just a few drinks, and then we're going home."

In an act of boldness, thanks to the wine she had during dinner, Bulma slipped her small arm around Vegeta's. She dared not to look up and see the Saiyan's expression. She did, however hear a faint exasperated sigh and soon the two of them were walking down the lit, noisy street together.

Before long, they came to a neat-looking bar simply called The 316. The bar was dimly lit with blue lights. All of the furniture, except for the seats, which were white, were black with blue neon lights outlining them.

Arms still locked around each other's, they walked up to the bar and chose seats. The bar's selection of alcohol was vast. Each bottle glowed from the lights beneath them.

"Did you know that I had to change rooms?" Bulma asked once she was handed the drink she ordered.

"You don't say?" Vegeta responded, being the first to raise his glass to his mouth.

Bulma made a face from the taste of her drink, "Yeah," She rasped, clearing her throat from the burn, "I didn't realize I'd be so close to your-er-guests. You should hear the commotion they make at the most ungodly hours!" She then laughed, her true feelings about the matter dulled by the alcohol in her system. She then brought her own glass to her lips, leaving a red stain on the rim.

"Oh please," Vegeta said, bringing his glass down for the second time, "You and I created our own chaos when we stayed in West City, so don't even talk."

Bulma laughed once more, "Yeah we did," She agreed, "How many bed frames did we break?"

"Four, I believe."

The two of them sat in mutual silence as they finished their drinks. The bartender offered them a second round, and Bulma idly watched a guy get escorted out of the bar for trying to drunkenly stand on his table. To be honest, she was enjoying her night alone with Vegeta; it had been entirely too long since she had a quiet night out, and it was quite nice since they had a conversation that circled around them yelling at each other.

Of course, there were a few things that Bulma was curious about, and her muddled mind seemed to put a damper on her ability to know what to say and what not to say.

"So, what's got you turned on to other men?" Bulma asked in her most polite voice, so the question would not be taken as an attack, "I-I mean, I never would have guessed."

"Well, why do _you_ find men attractive?" Vegeta retorted without missing a beat.

"I see your point," The blue-haired woman smiled, "Although, I can't see myself bringing strays home as pets...no offence!"

Vegeta smirked, "Yes, because I'm sure Yamcha is more than enough of a stray for you to handle," He then allowed his eyes to deliberately rove the length of Bulma's sitting form, lingering for a moment on the bit of thigh the blue dress exposed.

"Or maybe," He continued, using the hand that idly held his drink to lay it on his wife's knee, ignoring the fact that his hand was wet from the condensation of his glass, "_You're_ too much to handle for him."

Bulma's breath hitched in her throat slightly as the hand remained on her leg. Vegeta's boldness was definitely something she forgot had been one of the things she found most appealing about him. Still, she wasn't going to let him distract her from their conversation...she hoped.

"_What_," She emphasized, placing a hand on Vegeta's, "Are you trying to say?"

The hand was removed from Bulma's leg and went back to its original spot. Vegeta raised his glass to his mouth, taking his time in answering. "I think that this is not the place to discuss this."

Bulma followed her husband's gaze around the ever-growing crowd. They were talking quiet enough, but now that it was busy-hour for the bar, they couldn't risk the chance of the wrong person spotting them and overhearing them.

"Where do you want to go?"

"My apartment," Vegeta responded after downing the rest of the contents in his glass, "Remember, the one you and I used for business occasions like these? Unfortunately, my alcohol cabinet is empty there."

"Then we'll have to fix that," Bulma said, knowing all to well where this was headed, but not caring. For the night, they weren't just husband and wife, business partners, or parents...they were lovers.

-0-

Trunks suddenly felt dizzy and leaned up against a pillar that supported the second story of the resort's club. Whatever it was he smoked with Seventeen in that crowded restroom minutes before had his mind completely addled. Both of his hands pressed against the cool marble as he felt himself slide down against its side slightly.

His eyes opened at the touch of a hand gripping his wrist and pulling him off of the pillar. He looked over at the hand's owner and smiled lazily.

"How do you feel?" Seventeen asked, meeting Trunks' glassy gaze.

"Amazing!" Trunks replied, leaning heavily on his date and stifling a giggle.

"Good," Seventeen said, "Because there's someone we need to talk to." He then put an arm around Trunks' shoulder and began leading him through the crowd.

"But why can't we dance?" The teen whined. His head whipped from side to side, trying to take in his strangely-changing surroundings. The room spun around him, and the music pounded in his ears; the bass was felt in his chest, and the ground seemed to vibrate.

The flashing neon lights were brighter in his vision as he was led to a circular booth table in a far corner. A group of three men, and one dark-haired woman who seemed to be someone's date, as she was sitting in his lap.

The heavily-muscular man with short, spiky blonde hair was first to notice their approaching presence. In a gesture of greeting, he jerked his head back and said "What's good, man?". Seventeen replied by raising his hand in a lazy sort of wave.

"What's this?" Trunks said, eyeing the large pile of white powder in the center of the table; along with the drugs was a tall bottle of clear liquid and several shot glasses. "What-what're we doin'?"

Seventeen slid into the booth, pulling Trunks with him, "Chill out," He said.

"Ain't none of us gonna bite ya," The dark-haired woman said, leaning forward so she could playfully stroke her finger down his nose. "He's cute," She said to Seventeen, "Where'd you find him at?"

"Locked away in a castle," Seventeen responded tunelessly. Trunks hoped his blush wasn't noticed.

This particular crowd was a rather shady bunch. No names were introduced, except for the woman, Athena, who was rather flirtatious and stole covert glances shamelessly. The rest of the crowd poured shots and talked raucously. Occasionally someone would dip down to inhale a line of the powder and then jerk their head up, pinching their nose in pain.

Trunks watched his date take his turn just as another shot of alcohol was pressed into his hand. He watched the thin line disappear up the tightly-rolled bank note Seventeen held to his nose. He tossed his shot back, knowing that he would need the extra confidence. He didn't very much like the fact that the drug obviously caused major initial discomfort for the user, but he didn't want to look like a wimp, either.

He took the rolled up bill that was handed to him. He bit his lip uncertainly and dipped down, imitating Seventeen's actions. "_S-shit!_" He hissed through gritted teeth, squeezing his streaming eyes shut and holding onto his burning nose as if it were going to fall off.

Soon, the pain was replaced by an extreme surge of euphoria, and the need to move. Mixed with the hallucinogens he had earlier, his mind was in a whirlwind. Heat spread from his chest to the rest of his body.

"Was that your first time?" Athena asked, "That's really pure shit; most people get nosebleeds-Oh, but don't be embarrassed, hon'," She said quickly, noticing the heavy flush to Trunks' face, "You're fine." The guy whose lap she sat in tapped her on her bony shoulder and whispered something in her ear.

Trunks wasn't at all embarrassed, actually. He was burning up from the cocktail of drugs; especially the alcohol. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it from his pocket and giggled, "How'd I know he'd still be trying to get up with me." He said, looking at the "hello" text message from Goten.

He had slid out the keypad to type a response, but the phone was taken from his hands.

"Oh my god, don't!" Trunks protested as the culprit, Seventeen, quickly responded to the message.

"Too late," Seventeen said, handing the cell phone back to its owner.

Trunks looked at the response; any other time, he was quite sure he'd be outraged, but in his current state, he found the message to be quite humorous. "Why the hell?" He asked, still giggling.

"You're my boyfriend tonight, not his." The older man replied simply, pouring himself another shot from the quarter-full bottle.

The half-Saiyan felt his heart skip a beat at being labeled _boyfriend_ by his crush. Of course he knew that Seventeen was merely joking, but it was quite nice to hear, being that Goten normally acted shy about the fact he was dating a guy.

"What does it say?" Athena asked. Trunks handed her the phone, and not two seconds later, the woman burst into shrill laughter. "Busy havin' a loud wank, eh?" She read, "You're not right." She continued to giggle while her date rolled his eyes and mumbled something about being late. She then typed something quickly and slid the phone back across the table.

Trunks looked at the message log, but there was nothing there except a "TMI" from Goten.

"Now you have my number," Athena chirped, sliding off of her boyfriend's lap and straightening her tiny skirt around her good legs. Trunks couldn't help but admire how tall and well-proportioned she was. "You should call me." She then bent down to kiss Trunks on the side of his face, giving the teen a great view of the depths of her skimpy shirt.

With that, she and her date left the group and disappeared into the noisy crowd on the dance-floor. After demolishing the remnants of the alcohol, and doing a few more lines (Seventeen actually bought some, he liked it that much) Trunks suggested that they walk outside.

Trunks didn't realize how wasted he was until he stood up and nearly stumbled backward onto a slightly-uncoordinated. Seventeen. Needless to say, it was a tough job making it through the crowd.

Seventeen was stopped by multiple people, most of them past lovers, the other's just sticking around long enough to trade money for drugs. Trunks was surprised by how many illegal substances the guy had on him, and just how many people knew him.

They walked to an open outside area at the back of the club. In this area was the biggest swimming pool Trunks had ever seen with color-changing lights in it. Around the pool were multiple private gazebos for VIP guests and their friends; the rest of the space was standing-room only, due to how crowded the place was. Still, it was cooler outside than it was inside.

"There's the guy who owns the place," Seventeen said, pointing toward a particularly large gazebo flanked by two burly-looking bouncers. It was obvious to pick out the top-dog in the gazebo, despite the many people laughing and drinking inside it. A tall, thin man with a hollow face, wearing a bright-red suit, sat in the center of the group, basking in the attention of many beautiful women. It was much like a villan's cameo scene from a crime-action movie.

Trunks watched his date walk ahead of him. He really wanted to make a move on him, being that Seventeen was always the one to start things off between them. In an act of recklessness, and desperate need for physical touch, thanks to his drug and booze binge, he grabbed Seventeen by the shoulder to stop him.

"How 'bout it?" He asked into the older man's ear, letting his hands slide down the small-framed body, "Won't you dance with me?"

-0-

Bulma's shimmering dress fell to the floor around her feet as Vegeta unhooked the clasp in the back. Their mouths reconnected in a fiery kiss, and Vegeta's rough hands eagerly grabbed a hold of his wife's bare breast with one hand, the other tangled itself into her hair. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed the feel of her soft curves, which was heavily contrasted to what he had been used to as of late.

Small hands roved over perfected muscles, stopping just above the erection concealed by obtrusive fabric. Bulma unzipped the trousers, letting them fall unceremoniously to the floor, as her dress did. As soon as the soft _flump _of fabric was heard, she was none-too-gently shoved up against the wall.

A small giggle escaped Bulma's lips as her husband gripped her thigh with one hand and hooked it around his hip. With the other, he moved the black, lingerie underwear, and positioned himself at the moist entrance below.

Bulma bit her lip in anticipation, feeling a single finger slip against her slick flesh. the leg she was balanced on felt wobbly from having to stand on it in those spiked heels. "Hurry...please..." She whispered desperately in Vegeta's ear.

Obliging his wife, the prince pushed himself inside her easily with a soft groan. Fingers tangled themselves in black hair, and Vegeta's grip on Bulma's thigh tightened. He started rocking his hips slowly, savoring the feeling of warm, natural juices and soft flesh surrounding him, moistening the boxer-shorts he still wore. It had been entirely too long, indeed.

"I think..." Bulma breathed, tilting her head back as far as the wall would allow, "I-I think..." Her leg gave a particularly dangerous wobble that went unnoticed.

"_Don't _think; enjoy it," Vegeta demanded through gritted teeth, as he allowed himself a particularly rough thrust.

"Shit!" The intoxicated woman swore as a wave of pleasure coursed through her, "I'm gonna...fall!" She tried to use Vegeta's shoulders as leverage as she lifted her leg planted on the floor in order to wrap it around the other hip.

Unfortunately, this did not work. She overestimated Vegeta's ability to stay upright, and the couple fell backward onto the pale carpeted floor with a heavy _thud_. It appeared that Vegeta was more or less using Bulma as a way to stay standing upright, being that he had a bit more to drink that he had been planning.

"Sorry," Bulma said, picking herself up into a sitting position across Vegeta's hips, "At least you stayed in," She giggled drunkenly.

"So I have," Vegeta agreed, sliding his hands up his wife's legs and gripping her by the hip bones. He stared up at her as she gave him a saucy smile and began rotating her hips against him, using her legs to control her up-and-down movements.

She had no qualms voicing her thrill. Finally! She was with her husband! Of course, her times with Yamcha were great; he was an exceptional lover. Still, he wasn't her husband. As much as she ignored the thoughts; as much as she tried to deny it, she missed the touch of her Saiyan prince.

-8-

Bulma's eyes opened against their will at the feeling of her husband jabbing her in the lower back with his elbow. "What the...?" She mumbled as she turned her blurry gaze over to husband.

"Get your stupid phone; I can hear it." Vegeta growled, snatching the covers over his nude body, so that everything was covered.

Bulma couldn't possibly imagine how her husband could hear the phone, as it was set on vibrate. Then again, he was a Saiyan. She wasn't going to dwell on the matter too much; her head started to pound, and she was still quite drunk.

The room spun as she got out of bed. She barely remembered how she got there in the first place. Completely nude, she staggered around the tiny apartment to where she thinks she left her handbag.

Fumbling with the light switch, the lights flickered on. She squeezed her eyes shut, hissing in displeasure as the lights made her eyes hurt and her head throb.

Nonetheless, she found her handbag. She ungracefully flopped down on the living room sofa and fished around for her phone. She slid her finger across the screen to unlock it. Instantly, her phone indicated that she had an email at her corporate E-mail address, which was open to the public.

Squinting her eyes, in order to see better, she tapped the screen several times until she came to the screen that showed her the Capsule Corp corporate E-mail website. She logged in and saw an unchecked email from an address she didn't recognize. It had an attachment icon next to the subject labeled "Guess what I saw?"

Against her better judgment, she tapped the "read" link. Her eyes widened as she scanned the one-sentence message: "Close your deal with Brady Trevino, or these go public."

The E-mail had a sobering effect on her. She quickly threw on Vegeta's button-up shirt that she found on the floor and dashed to the bedroom.

"Vegeta, get up," She demanded, flipping the light switch, flooding the room with light.

"Fucking hell, woman!" Vegeta spat, hiding his head under his pillow.

"You've got to see this E-mail!" Bulma said extremely fast, "Someone's trying to blackmail me!" She sat down next to her husband on the bed and ripped the pillow back.

Vegeta sat up and held his head in his hands for a minute, "Repeat that," He said, "Slowly, this time."

Bulma thrust the phone under her husband's nose, "Have a look," She said, "I haven't opened the attachments."

The Saiyan blinked sleepily and his eyes scanned the E-mail message. "Probably a bull-shitter," He said dismissively. He then tapped the "download attachment" link. Upon seeing the files, Vegeta's temper flared. He said nothing as he passed the phone to his wife.

Her cerulean eyes flashed angrily as she gave Vegeta an accusatory glare. "I'll deal with the blackmailer," She said in a deadly tone, "_You_ deal with your son, as this is _your _doing."

-0-

Trunks brushed his nose against sleek, black hair, inhaling the pleasing scent the action brought forth. His hands slid down to gently grip slightly-protruding hipbones, as his and his date's bodies ground against each other to the heavily-thudding music.

The heavily-prevalent presence of pheromones, mingled with sweat and arousal from the dense crowd, sank into Trunks' sensitive Saiyan senses. His fogged mind ignored any and all rational thought, only focusing on one thing: how unashamedly turned-on he was. Any other time, he would be mortified by how obviously desperate he was; but now, in his current state, he wanted his desires to be known.

Seventeen pressed his body back against Trunks' more firmly, as if purposely trying to tease him further. Warm lips grazed over his neck, stopping at his shirt collar. He smirked and spun around so that he was facing the amorous half-Saiyan.

His arms wrapped around Trunks' neck and he leaned forward so that his lips were barely touching the teen's ear. "How would you like to go somewhere more private?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's do that," Trunks replied, running his hands down the older man's back and pressing their bodies tighter together. He tilted his head slightly to capture Seventeen's lips with his, but was stopped by a pair of fingertips.

"Save it for upstairs," Seventeen told his date with a smile. Out of his pocket he withdrew a key-card. Trunks didn't ask where he got it from, figuring he'd rather not know, and hoping that all the guests were given one.

This time, instead of wading through the crowd, they skirted around the club. They climbed a spiral staircase that lead to the second floor of the club. Up here were private tables, much like the gazebos outside, devoted to high-class guests who preferred the company of beautiful male and female escorts.

Soon, they walked through a set of doors that led them to a quiet, high-ceilinged corridor. Trunks exhaled in relief as the cool air of the empty hall hit his heated, sweat-moistened skin. It felt as if the hall were thirty degrees cooler than the dance floor.

After a heated ride in an elevator, where both males seemed to be glued to each other at the mouth, they only had a short walk until they were at the door the key-card belonged to.

They walked into a large sitting room with ecru walls and beige couches. He room had a modern-day classiness to it. The sitting room then opened up to an even larger area.

Taking up a quarter of this room's space was a large, all-white bed with extremely plush blankets. Along the right wall was a large window that led to a balcony overlooking the city's streets.

Trunks sat on the edge of the bed, sighing in relief due to his aching feet. He leaned back on his palms and observed his date, who was removing the contents of his pockets. He was definitely in-debt to Seventeen for sharing such a fantastic night with him and introducing him to pleasures and luxuries that he would have never gotten to experience with anyone else.

"So," He said, smiling, "Was it your intent to get me doped-up then coax me into bed with you?"

The black-haired man turned around, A fierce, fiery expression played across his features as he stared into cerulean eyes. "It worked, didn't it?" He asked, stepping between Trunks' slightly spread legs. He leaned forward until he was practically on top of the younger male.

Trunks stared up at Seventeen, loving the exuberant stare he was being given. No one ever looked at him like that. He bit his bottom lip in anticipation; he couldn't believe that what he had only pictured in his head was actually happening.

"You're cute when you're nervous," The older man said, "Don't worry, this will be fun." His mouth pressed against the other's, parting pliant lips with his own.

A chill went down Trunks' spine as he felt Seventeen's tongue swirl lazily around his. His arms, which were wrapped loosely around the other man's neck, tightened their hold, deepening their kiss. Deft fingers danced down his front, unbuttoning his shirt and exposing his chest.

Pale blue eyes were fixed insolently on cerulean ones as Seventeen slid down Trunks' body. He quickly loosened the constricting jeans and tugged them down. "My goodness," He said, wrapping his fingers around the younger male's uncomfortably hardened length.

"W-what's wrong?" Trunks asked, already red-faced and breathing heavily. His blush deepened as Seventeen's long tongue snaked up the appendage, leaving a clear trail from the tip to his tongue; his eyes remained fixed on the other's all the while.

"Do I look like I have a problem?" Seventeen asked, "I wouldn't be putting your dick in my mouth if I did."

Trunks opened his mouth to retort, but the only sound that came out was a low moan as he watched himself disappear between impudent lips.

The feeling was incredible, and the half-Saiyan lowered himself backward, letting his eyes drift shut. Soft moans escaped through parted lips, and his hands gripped the sheets at his sides. He practiced extreme self-control to keep from releasing so soon; he cursed himself for not getting any sort of physical action in what he thought was a long time.

He gasped and involuntarily jerked at the sudden and unexpected feeling of the older man's fingers, wet from saliva, teasing him into readiness. His eyes closed tighter at the uncomfortable, yet oddly erotic, in-and-out motion.

A light sheen of sweat coated his forehead as his effort to contain himself became harder. One of his hands released its death-grip on the sheets; he trailed his fingertips down the middle of his body until they touched soft, black hair. He tangled his fingers in the raven locks, urging the head further downward.

Trunks' breathing became heavier and a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face and downward into his hair. He didn't know how much longer he could hold back; Seventeen was quite talented with his mouth, and the occasional teasing gazes he gave didn't help at all.

His toes curled and his back arched off of the bed. His jaw dropped as the first pulse of his orgasm, that he so desperately tried to hold back, hit him. "_Ah, fuck_!" He cried as the second pulse hit him, releasing thick fluid into the older man's mouth.

Trunks' body relaxed, and Seventeen righted himself, wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb, then undoing and pulling his pants down around his knees

. "That was...amazing," Trunks panted, arms slightly thrown out to either side of him.

"It isn't over yet," Seventeen replied, gripping the younger male's thigh and hooking it around one of his hips. He leaned down and grasped one of Trunks' wrists, balancing his weight on that one; the other was reaching downward to position himself.

The half-Saiyan felt tense again. He was positively dreading this part, and no amount of prep could save him. Tears welled in his eyes from the initial pain of being entered. The low groan that came from Seventeen's mouth sent a shiver down his spine; he looked up to see the man's jaw clench as he eased further inside. A firm grip tightened around his free wrist.

Seventeen exhaled heavily as he slowly started rocking his hips. He stared into Trunks' eyes, which were still wet around the edges from the tears, and felt the teen's fists clench. He quickened his pace as soon as he was used to the incredible stimulation he loved so much.

So lost in his own lust and ecstasy, he was unaware of the bruising force he used to grip the teen's wrists. The pained grunts and sharp gasps coming from the younger male's mouth only increased the thrill as he repeatedly drove himself into him. He dipped down to press his lips to Trunks', drowning out the soft, sultry sounds that made his blood rush with excitement.

Trunks eagerly accepted the older man's gesture. The pain that made his very nerves scream for relief was slowly ebbing away; he moaned quietly against the other man's mouth, feeling his length completely hardened, as the pain was replaced by pleasure.

Their slick bodies slid against each other's as Trunks began to gently rotate his hips in sync with Seventeen's. This action caused more friction against his erection and another low moan escaped his mouth. The hands clinging to his wrists released their death-grip and dug into his hair, which was damp at the base from the sweat.

Seventeen's forehead rested against Trunks' and their noses brushed touched. Their alcohol-laced breath mingled together as their tongues darted out to swirl around one another's. The older man's rhythmic movements soon became more erratic as he neared his own release.

His jaw dropped and his eyes squeezed shut; "Ah-!" Was all he was able to get out as his mouth tried to form a coherent word. The initial wave of his release hit him, making him momentarily senseless. The second wave came closely behind the first and his grip on Trunks tightened. After the incredible third pull, his body collapsed on top of the other's, both male's breathing heavily.

"That was...so good..." He whispered against moist skin. His eyes shut as the aftershocks subsided.

Trunks smiled lazily. He wanted to just lay there, enjoying the feeling of another's body pressed against his, but he was still quite aroused. With one quick movement, he had Seventeen on his back, while he laid on top of him.

The older man, still red in the face, smiled and spread his legs in offering. Trunks wasted no time in taking advantage of this opportunity; he was quite certain that no one else got the chance to dominate the brazen stripper.

-8-

The sky was barely tinged pink in the distance. Trunks and Seventeen, who were both physically worn-out, but could not sleep due to the substances ingested hours before, sat together on the veranda outside the room.

Trunks took a long draw on the joint he was passed, then slowly exhaled the smoke into the cool early-morning breeze. He glanced upward at his partner, who was sitting on the edge of the balcony, staring into the almost non-existent traffic far below. "Why do you do this?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them that had lasted almost twenty minutes.

"Do what?" Seventeen asked, taking the joint and taking a pull.

The half-Saiyan stared at the glowing end of the joint then locked onto pale blue eyes, "This crazy lifestyle you live; you couldn't possibly have _no responsibilities."_

"To keep from feeling," The older man answered, which actually surprised Trunks. "I don't want to be held back by rubbish emotions and ideals."

Trunks got up from his chair and stood in between Seventeen's legs with his hands on the man's upper thighs. He brushed a few strands of black hair that had blown in the man's face. "I have to admit," He said, "I think there's something unusual about you."

Seventeen leaned forward and slipped his arms around the teen's neck. "Just like you," He said quietly, brushing his lips against the other's, "I'm only part-human." He covered Trunks' lips with his own, letting his tongue slip out and slide against the seam of the younger male's closed mouth.

"And what, exactly, is the part of you that isn't human?" The teen asked, pulling back slightly.

"Android," The older man answered with a smirk. Once more, he pressed his lips to Trunks. He felt the younger man's hands slide up his back and their kiss deepened.

"That's incredible..." Trunks whispered when they broke apart, "An android and a half-Saiyan-wizard; we'd make a nice couple."

"Do you think so?" Seventeen laughed pleasantly. Just as they were going to be joined at the mouth once more, the muffled sounds of some noisy ring-tone were heard from inside the room.

"That would be mine," He said, sounding a bit disappointed. He patted the younger man on the shoulder then walked inside.

Trunks stuck his nose out to the breeze; the sky was gray tinged with orange and gold. The effects of the joint he smoked had taken effect, so now he was starting to feel sleepy. The thoughts of warm sheets on a comfortable bed, preferably shared with his amorous lover, seemed like only a fairy tail to him and his aching body.

Just as he was going to walk inside to suggest that they go back to the castle, Seventeen met him at the threshold between the veranda and the room. The roguish spark in his eye was diminished, being him back to his trademark poker-face; void of any emotion.

"You ought to check your phone," He said flatly, handing the slim piece of machinery to its owner, "Raditz called and said your parents have been trying to get up with you."

With a quizzical expression, the teen turned on his phone. The device alarmed continually with multiple alerts ranging from texts to angry voicemails. When he was through sorting through the ranting and screaming voicemails and texts, he gave a panicked look to the older man.

"I think that you might have to make yourself scarce for a while," He said grimly.


	8. All Apologies

**A/N: I'm truly grateful to have a tiny handful of loyal fans who give me great, well-rounded reviews, rather than 150 "update soon's" from total strangers who don't know a lick about decent writing. *bows* Thank you very much, friends! **

A spherical jet-black ball of iron shot past Goten, who, like the ball was floating in midair, narrowly missing his right shoulder by millimeters. The ball seemed to realize that it missed its target and sharply turned around, flying directly at its target.

Goten held a stout wooden bat firmly in his hand and positioned himself in the direct line of sight of the flying ball. A short distance behind him, also in midair, a bark-like, derisive laugh was heard.

"You ain't gonna hit that bludger!" Came the owner of the laugh. Raditz's proud smirk then fell to a frown as he watched his nephew take a well-aimed whack at the bludger that he was so sure couldn't be hit.

He furrowed his brow and a look of pure determination took over his features as he locked his eyes on the bludger flying toward him with incredible velocity. He dropped the Beater's bat he held and held his hands out, splay-fingered, readying himself for the initial blow the brutal object was going to hit him with.

"Holy shit!" Goten laughed as he watched his uncle catch the bludger in his bare hands, knocking his large form backward in the air a few meters, "You gonna be alright? You're supposed to hit it with the Beater's bat, not use your hands."

Raditz scoffed and touched back down on the grassy lawns, tucking the desperately struggling ball under his right arm. "Whatever," He said rolling his eyes, "This is child's-play."

Goten landed on the ground, and watched as Raditz struggled with putting the bludger back in leather case while making it seem like he was not having a hard time. He noticed after the forest incident that Raditz had been hanging out with him and his father more frequently when he wasn't at work. It wasn't that he minded, because he enjoyed goofing off with his uncle and teaching him about the wizarding community that the man knew next to nothing about.

Like today, for instance, he had finally found a reason to break out his at-home Quidditch set that he got one year for Christmas. He didn't use brooms to stay aloft, however, being that he preferred the freedom of flying without one.

To him, Raditz seemed to enjoy being out in the peaceful mountains; he even stopped sharing dirty looks with Chi-Chi. Still, he suspected that his uncle had another reason for avoiding the castle aside from training with Goku and hanging out with him.

He _strongly _suspected that Raditz's stand-offish behavior was tied with the reason himself and Trunks did nothing but fight. Something happened over a week-and-a-half ago that caused a sudden change in Trunks' mood. He became very particularly cold, which made things even more awkward for Goten, who was already doubting his role in their strained relationship.

Trunks had already given up on translating the journal, which Goten refused to read until it was finished. He had also stopped being so amorous and needy, thus making it almost a whole week since they've seen each other. Personally, Goten was happy for the break, it gave him time to think about their relationship.

"What do you want to do now?" Raditz asked, slightly exasperated, yet pleased that he managed to fit the Bludger back into its niche in the large box.

The boy shrugged, "I was gonna go to the castle later on, but I might just go now before Mom and Dad get back."

"Oh," The older man said, "Are you going to see Trunks?"

Goten's expression hardened slightly, "Actually I was gonna see Vegeta. I ain't made no plans to see Trunks since our last fight." He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the grass below.

Raditz snorted, "Yeah he's been tailing after Mel-n-not that I think there's somethin' goin' on between them or nothin'." He quickly lied, glancing at his scowling nephew.

"I know they've been hanging out a lot, Uncle, you don't have to spare my feelings," Goten sighed heavily and stared upward at the sky, "Son of a bitch, Mom and Dad are back. Mom'll never give me permission to see Vegeta."

And sure enough, a compact red hover-car was drawing nearer to the lawns. Goten mentally cursed himself for not leaving sooner. Still, what was the worst that would happen if he asked? His mother tell him 'no'?

"Why are you even seeing Vegeta?" Raditz asked, "Are you trying to get back at Trunks 'cause you think something is goin' on behind your back?" He grinned; oh yeah, he definitely hit a nerve.

Goten's heart jumped and glared at his smarmy uncle, "What the fuck does that mean?" He asked defensively, "I'd rather be chained to a cinder-block and tossed into the Arctic Ocean, or be thrown in a pit of starving spiders than do something like that!"

"Touchy, touchy!" The older Saiyan said, holding his hands up, "Didn't think you'd get so worked up over a damn joke."

"Shut up," The teen said, watching the red vehicle slowly land on the lawns.

Chi-Chi, who was driving, stepped out of the automobile first. Goku followed suit. Neither adult looked happy, and it seemed as if they attempted to go out to eat together from the left-over's bags in their hands. Chances were, the dinner didn't last that long.

"Hey, Goten," Chi-Chi said to her son in a bit of a tired tone, "I thought you had last-minute homework to do."

Goten looked at his uncle quickly then back at his mother, "I finished it already," He said, "I can show you if you-"

"No, no," The black-haired woman sighed, heading toward the house, "I believe you." She then turned, saying nothing to Raditz, and walked inside.

"What did you do?" Raditz asked his brother, who was meekly following in his wife's wake.

Goku sighed, "Well first I shook the doctor's hand too hard and his toupee thingy fell off. Chi-Chi got _real _mad."

"I don't doubt it," Goten said flatly, completely in disbelief at the boundlessness of his father's embarrassing behavior.

"And then when we out to eat at The Back Yard, and all I did was comment on Chi-Chi lookin' like she maybe gained a little weight, and she went _ballistic_. She went and scared all the customers out with her hollerin'," The simple-minded Saiyan shook his head, "Completely unnecessary," Then his expression brightened, "But at least we got our food for free just to get outta the restaurant."

"This is why I'm proud to be your son, Dad," Goten said over Raditz's giggles.

Goku didn't know whether to smile and say "thanks", or to keep quiet. His son had been rather cold to him lately, and he couldn't understand why. He had hoped he would be completely over the closet incident, but apparently he wasn't.

"Goku!" Came Chi-Chi's voice from the house, "Come help me get this stuff in the fridge! And I'll have you know," She continued as Goku trudged toward the house in defeat, "I had every right to be pissed at you, because you kept _talking with your mouth full!_ You sprayed the waiter full-on in the face with chewed food, for crying out-" The door shut behind the couple, shutting out the rest of Chi-Chi's shrilly-spoken sentence.

"Well, I ain't stayin' for this shit," Raditz said, "I'm going back to the fucking castle."

"Let me go with you," Goten said, "I don't wanna hear the argument they're bound to have." He looked into the windows of the house and saw no one. Thinking that the coast was clear, he rose into the air after his uncle.

"Goten!" Came the sharp snap of his mother's voice just as he had started picking up speed, "What exactly are you doing?"

An unfamiliar wave of pure anger coursed through him. Whenever his mother was around, he was always under her constant watch. He couldn't even go for a walk through the woods without being hounded about what he was doing, especially with Raditz hanging around more.

The teen landed back on the ground roughly and stormed toward his unyielding mother. "What?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest and setting his jaw.

"What are you doing?" Chi-Chi asked again, ignoring the nasty tone of her son's voice.

"I was flying, wasn't I?" Goten ground out impatiently. He glanced upward toward the sky; Raditz had left him.

"I don't think I like your tone, young man. Now either tell me what you were doing, or you can say goodbye to your little card collection."

That struck a nerve. "Oh, sorry Mom, I forgot to tell you that I was running off to smoke a fat-ass blunt to the head, maybe pop some pills, and get completely wasted. If I'm lucky, I might even wake up naked next to a girl I don't know."

Chi-Chi's jaw dropped; never before had her son ever spoken so disrespectfully to her. Without a second thought, her hand reared back and she smacked the boy's face as hard as she could. She glared daggers as Goten stared back, stunned, rubbing the side of his face where he had been struck.

She was beside herself with anger, "Get inside _now_," She said, her tone at its most deadly.

"No," Goten replied, "I've been cooped up in this house all summer all because of something completely stupid and done with! I'm going to the castle, Mom. I'm sick of not being able to do anything."

A pang of guilt shot through Chi-Chi's heart. Had she really become the nagging bitch that everyone teases about behind her back? Had she become so wrapped up in keeping her family tightly knitted together that she had forgotten her son's wants and needs?

"Go ahead," She sighed in defeat; she had plenty enough to deal with from Goku, she really didn't want to fight anymore.

Without another word, Goten took to the skies after his uncle. He seethed about the sheer nerve of people as he sped up to catch the speck-like figure of Raditz far ahead of him. Even the older Saiyan had a part in rubbing him the wrong way with his accusation of Goten using Vegeta as rebound.

Sure, he was hanging around the prince a little more than deemed safe for the average person, but that didn't mean anything. Then, he'd have to think about what the outsider sees: he and Trunks fight, he starts tailing down Vegeta like a lost puppy who had just been given food.

Oh yeah, it was quite clear to him why Raditz would joke around like that. The more the teen thought about it, he had to admit, Vegeta wasn't quite as horrible once he got to know him. Though he was never fully docile, he deduced that the prince's attitude was mostly for show.

-0-

Soon, after catching up with Raditz, the pair touched down outside of the castle's entrance. Goten sighed loudly, which didn't go unnoticed by the older man.

"You gonna be okay, kid?" He asked, peering down at his long-faced nephew.

Goten shrugged, "I was thinking of patching shit up with Trunks before I seen Vegeta, but I don't know," He sighed again and looked upward in the direction of Trunks' window, "I really don't feel like being around _him_, now that I think about it."

Raditz rolled his eyes, "Suit yourself," He said, walking up the steps to the wooden doors, "I'll be upstairs boozin' up before I leave for three days." He then continued to grumble moodily under his breath as he entered the foyer.

Goten was soon to follow. He figured he would attempt to figure out what was wrong with Trunks and why he chose to be such an ass recently. Besides, what was the worst that would happen? Trunks tell him to get the fuck out of his room (or whatever room he was currently haunting).

He didn't have to look far. He sought out Trunks' ki figured out that he was in one of the lounge rooms on the first floor. Just as he rounded the corner to walk down the corridor leading to the lounge, he saw Seventeen leaning against the threshold, talking.

"-Gotta get ready to leave in a few hours," The dark-haired man said to an unseen Trunks, "And if you aren't too plastered by the time I get back, we might just finish what we started." He smiled with mock-innocence and took a step back from the threshold, waving slightly.

_Fucking bitch._ Was the only thing that Goten could think about as his expression turned to a frown and he marched down the hall. He pretended not to notice the older man eyeing him up and down when they passed, but it only made his temper rise more. The therapist was right, he really did have a lot of pent-up anger that needed to be handled.

He leaned up against the threshold, much like Seventeen did, but on the opposite side. He idly watched his flaky boyfriend toss back a shot of liquor, before making his presence known. He rapped his knuckles smartly on the wood of the door frame.

"Knock, knock, Trunks..." He said in a dead, flat tone. He kept his expression stony as he watched Trunks jump from fear and stare at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"Yeah," Goten continued, keeping the same tone. He pushed himself up off of the wall and started slowly toward the older teen, "Didn't expect me to show up here, did ya?"

Trunks remained silent and flopped down on the white couch that was situated in front of the table that held his drink. He propped his head in his hand and stared blankly at the tall, frosted-glass bottle. He didn't bother to respond to Goten's question.

"Ain't got nothin' to say, huh, Trunks?" The younger teen continued, advancing slowly still, "I betcha you're fucking drunk. You're _always _fucking drunk, ain't you?" In a burst of rage, he threw an empty shot glass against a painting of a mountain range, where it shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I just wanna know," He continued shakily, sitting before Trunks and putting his hands on either side of the older male's face, so that there was no way that he didn't have his undivided attention, "What the_ fuck_ is wrong with you? Why the _fuck _do you keep doing fucked up shit!"

Trunks' drunken gaze remained locked on angry, dark eyes. He stared for a moment, cocking his jaw as if debating what to say. Finally he blew out an alcohol-scented breath and said: "I'm cheating on you with him." His mouth upturned at the corner, if only slightly.

Goten dropped his hands but didn't lose his seating position. Strangely, he didn't feel quite as angry as he thought he would. Still, he had to know, "Why am I not surprised?" He said, "Since when?"

"'Bout two weeks ago. He took me out, we got fucked up on shit-knows-what, and we've been fucking ever since." Trunks' face remained passive, as if he didn't care one bit about the news he was divulging to his supposed beloved boyfriend.

He took Goten's silence as a cue to continue, "We got caught, you know? Yeah, some nobody got pissed that Mom took their client, or whatever, and took blackmailing photos of us. Boy, Mom and Dad were pissed as hell." A very Vegeta-like grin spread across his face and he sat back to enjoy a moment of laughter, "But you know what?" He asked, "I got out of it real quick. See, Mom and Dad were gonna kick Seventeen out, and all that shit. But I threatened to tell everyone about _both _of their affairs. Yeah," He laughed, "I went there."

"He's got you wrapped around his little finger, don't he?" The younger teen said, shaking his head and standing up, "I can't believe this; I feel like I don't even fucking know you!" He said loudly, getting angry at Trunks' lack of remorse, "You're spoiled and you just don't know how to fucking take _no_ for an answer! You know what?" He clenched his fist angrily and growled, trying to control his temper, "I only agreed to go out with you because you wouldn't just _let it go_. You had to keep pushin' and pushin' and makin' an ass of yourself until you got what the fuck you wanted!

"So I want you to tell me," He continued, feeling more confident now that he was on a roll, "Is this the reason why you've been actin' like a jerk to me all this time, and fightin' with me? 'Cause you seriously had me convinced that you were going through somethin' rough and wanted to be left alone. Is it really just 'cause you're fuckin' some other guy? What does he do, Trunks? Get you good and doped up, fucks you, then dips out on you? What the fuck are you gonna do once your little candy-ass fuck buddy is bored of you? I mean, we all know he's a fuckin' _slut! _"

"How 'bout you shut the fuck up about shit you don't know about!" Trunks finally said, jumping up. He swayed on the spot, but continued to glare at Goten all the same, "Get the fuck up out my face, about shit that don't concern you! I don't even wanna see your ass right now!"

"Is that right? Well, you ain't gonna be fuckin' it, neither!"

Trunks clenched his fists in anger. In a surge of impulse he grabbed the neck of his bottle of booze and chucked it at Goten's retreating figure. His drunken attempt at intimidation missed by a long-shot, causing the bottle to crash against the wall, spilling strong-smelling liquid all over the place. "GO FUCK YOURSELF!" He cried before the younger teen slammed the door shut behind him.

Goten didn't bother to look back as he stormed back down the hall. He was in such a rage, and not because Trunks cheated; he had his suspicions about Trunks and Seventeen ever since they both started hanging out. He was actually pissed at the fact that Trunks could be so blind and _stupid. _There was no way that he-Trunks-could not see that he was being duped. It was no secret that Seventeen was a master manipulator.

He had to admit that he felt awkward about the whole relationship with his "best friend". He was being completely honest when he told Trunks that he only agreed to date him because of being pressured into it. That's not to say that he didn't share love for his friend, because he did. They've been through so much together, and they've grown up together. So much was shared between the two of them, and it pained him to see Trunks being taken advantage of. There's no telling how much Seventeen had already taken.

He reached the stairs, debating on two things: hunting Seventeen down and beating the ever-loving shit out of him, or sticking to his original plan and finding Vegeta.

Back in the lounge, hot, angry tears spilled out of Trunks' eyes. He couldn't believe the nerve of Goten barging into his house and trying to tell him what to do. What was worse was Goten's admittance to never having feelings for him in the first place; that hurt.

He stood there, seething, staring blurrily at the door with his fists clenched at his side. The tears continued to streak down his face, but no sound came from him, save for an occasional sniffle. He had to wonder what in the world possessed him into thinking that he could continue such a lavish and shameless affair with Seventeen and still play boyfriend to Goten. Was he really so wrapped up in fulfilling his sexual desires that he didn't see the discomfort he was causing his so-called best friend?

Trunks swore under his breath, he really should have called off the relationship with Goten. If he'd have known that Goten felt uncertain, then he would have been able to give himself to his new crush with a perfectly-clear conscience. Then, like a sudden spark to the back of his mind, a thought struck him: what if Goten tried to do something horrible to Seventeen? Goten may be a docile person, but what would stop him from trying cause harm after everything he's just found out?

"No," He said aloud to himself, "Goten's not a vengeful person...is he?" He had to stop and question himself. Never had he seen Goten act out of turn like he just did; this begged the question if he really knew Goten at all. All his life, he was only concerned with numero uno; _himself. _Everything he ever did was for his benefit, even bribing Goten with expensive toys as children just to let him win a fight. It seemed, from what just happened, that he really didn't know his friend in-depth at all.

Because of this revelation, he became concerned. He had no clue what Goten was planning on doing, and seeking out the ki signature was hard, due to his level of intoxication. Still, he had a bit of a stubborn streak in him, and out-right refused to admit that he had to slow down.

The best thing that he decided he had to do was seek either Seventeen or Goten out himself.

-0-

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Goten said through gritted teeth as he followed his uncle's ki signature. A part of him wished that he could just turn back, but a darker part of him egged him on, reminding him that the little cunt, Seventeen, deserved an ass beating.

He figured that wherever Raditz was, chances were, Seventeen was nearby. He more or less wanted to know what was so freaking great about the scrawny little prick, besides being the only person who would put-out, that made Trunks so magnetized toward him. In Goten's opinion, the _only _thing Seventen had going for him was his looks.

The teen soon approached a downstairs bathroom in the middle of a corridor devoted to mostly unused bed rooms and junk rooms. He was quite sure it was near where Seventeen's bed room was. He stopped outside of a door, where he heard two voices: a gruff baritone laced with agitation, and a quieter, slightly-monotonous one. Both Raditz and Seventeen were together; this posed a slight problem since he wanted the bastard one-on-one.

"Will you quit pressin' so hard, it _burns!_" He heard Raditz complain; there was a slight whine to the man's voice that didn't suit him at al.

"Then leave your fucking hand still, please, so I can clean it properly," Seventeen replied, "Your dumb ass shouldn't have been squeezing the shot glass so tightly, and you wouldn't have sliced your hand open."

Aside from a few pained hisses coming from Raditz, and exasperated sighs from the other man, there was nothing more to the conversation. Just when Goten was tired of standing there, and was going to give his mission up as a bad job, he heard Raditz speak once more.

"You sure you don't wanna go with me?" He said, "It'll be loads of fun; I have a beach-front hotel and-ow, careful!"

"I told you I have to work, or I would go in a heartbeat."

Raditz scoffed, "You wouldn't miss an opportunity to spend three days partying on a private island. You're just staying 'cause of that brat."

"Of course not. If it weren't for Dez and Morgan getting charged with selling ruffies outside of the club, I'd be there," He paused for a second, and the sound of a tape-like substance being peeled was heard, "That's not to say I'm not going to take advantage of having a willing-and-able guy at my disposal." He finished his speech with a small laugh. "And could you open the door for me?"

Goten froze on the spot as he watch the door being pulled open by the long free arm of his uncle. He saw Seventeen, who was sitting cross-legged on the lidded toilet, wrapping a bandage around Raditz's right hand. Raditz had to sit on the floor, but because of his height and size, he was still easily accessible by his partner.

"You could've knocked; we would have let you in," Seventeen said obviously, not looking at Goten, "And if you were trying to sneak up on someone, you were doing a pretty shitty job," He finally looked up with a teasing glint in his eye, "I saw your shadow from below the door."

The young half-Saiyan seemed lost for words; this was not the entrance he wanted. Still, that insolent expression on that blue-eyed pretty-boy's face heated his blood, and the primal urge to get violent was almost impossible to ignore. His confidence was soon restored when Seventeen rolled his eyes and went back to his task, as if Goten were never there in the first place.

"I wanna know what you're getting at," Goten said boldly, folding his arms smartly across his chest.

Seventeen ripped the end of the bandage tape and fixed it to the other layers of bandage wrapped around Raditz's hand. "You're done; out." He demanded flatly.

"Out...what?" Raditz asked stupidly.

"Out, as in 'get the fuck out before I throw you out myself'."

Raditz glared at the smaller man, "Bitch," He spat, standing up.

"I know," Seventeen replied with a smile as the injured man stormed out of the room.

His attention was now back on Goten, whose confidence was waning once more. "I was wondering when you might confront me." He said, placing the roll of bandage tape back in its box.

Goten ignored the arrogant remark and chose to get to the point. "Why do I get the feeling that you really don't give a fuck that you're turning Trunks into a drug-abusing alcoholic?"

"I haven't made your _boyfriend_ do shit. Everything we've done together has been completely consensual, and he knew the consequences of getting caught." Seventeen stood up and tilted his head slightly, staring at Goten curiously, "But don't worry, _lover boy_," He continued, stepping forward, his smile widening, "When I fucked him, I fucked him _real _good. Although, it's such a shame that you chose not to put out...he's a _very _good lay, and eager to please; you don't know what you're missing."

"You _bastard!_" Goten growled through gritted teeth, "How can you-? Why the fuck-?" The irate teen was so beside himself with anger that he stumbled stupidly on his words. He felt his ki rise with his temper, and his readiness to fight. Never before, since he was small, had he been so adamant about seeing someone beaten into a pulp.

"Use full sentences like a big boy," The older man teased, brushing past the teen as if he never registered the offensive body-language, or the unnatural body heat courtesy of the ki flowing off of the boy's body.

Goten stared incredulously at Seventeen's retreating figure. "Don't you walk the fuck away from me!" He called, causing the man to stop and turn purposely slow.

"Please tell me you're joking," Seventeen half-laughed, "You cannot possibly think that you're going to fight me and win."

"So what the fuck if I am? I'm not through with your ass, not after all the shit you're putting Trunks through! He's a fucking wreck and its all your fault!"

"Oh, so me showing your boyfriend, whom you've done nothing for, a great time is bad? If you truly cared so much, he wouldn't have come to me in the first place. Sounds like you're the one who needs an ass beating, not me. Its just you and me in this hall...so what are you waiting for?"

Goten had never found one singular person to be so infuriatingly annoying. Something finally snapped inside of him, like a dam breaking, and he felt a flood of rage flow within. He moved furiously toward the man, who made no move to defend himself.

"You evil...disgusting...prissy little _BITCH!_" Goten cried, sending a balled fist toward Seventeen's face.

Seventeen easily caught the fist scowled, which looked odd on him considering he normally showed no expression at all. "I'm _not,_" He ground out, squeezing the fist in his hand, "_PRISSY!_"

Goten winced from the pain of his fist being crushed with shocking strength. "Well...you're still a fucking bitch!" He snarled, gripping Seventeen's shoulder with his free hand and using his own weight and strength to slam the small-framed body against the stone wall.

The older man gasped from having the wind knocked out of him, and a nasty crack split upward along the wall. He involuntarily released Goten's fist, giving the half-Saiyan the opportunity to pummel him in the gut repeatedly. His shoulder was released, only to have a muscular forearm shoved under his neck.

Blood was choked up and coughed sickly onto Goten's face. Suddenly the half-Saiyan felt Seventeen's hand shove against his chest followed by an excruciating pain. He cried aloud and flew into the opposite wall nearby a wooden door.

He was stunned for a moment, and his vision was blurred. His chest felt burnt and raw and he shakily picked himself up from the floor. He had no idea that Seventeen possessed any strength, aside from basic human strength, at all considering how small he was and he had no ki signature.

"So you wanna do it that way, huh?" He asked, forming an orb of ki in his right palm and launching it deftly at Seventeen, who dodged it, causing a half-moon table to explode into nothing more than dust.

Now that Goten knew he was fighting a more worthy opponent, he was ready, and didn't feel the need at all to hold back. He spun around to face Seventeen who had just tried to strike him from behind and caught him in a vice-like grip. The half-Saiyan threw his opponent bodily to the ground. He pounced on the sprawled-out figure, pinning him by the neck with one hand to the floor.

"Fuck you," he spat (actually spraying the older man in the face with saliva). He tightened his grip on the other's throat and formed a white-hot ball of ki in his free hand.

Seventeen's blood-stained face was illuminated by the sphere of burning energy. His eyes widened fearfully for just a second before he quickly raised his right knee, colliding it as hard as he could with is aggressor's groin.

The half-Saiyan looked as if he were going to puke, as saliva filled his mouth. Tears quickly formed in his widened eyes, and his rigid form slackened completely. Before he could collapse fully on top of Seventeen, He was flipped onto his back, staring blurrily up at the man he hated most.

"You're going to pay _dearly_ for what you've just done to me," Seventeen threatened hoarsely, breathing heavily, "I've got the perfect punishment in mind..." He coughed weakly and withdrew a worn-handled pocket knife.

His eyes glinted menacingly, almost madly as he flipped the well-sharpened blade out and thrust it against Goten's exposed neck. He pushed the teen's head back by shoving his free hand under his chin and started to slowly slide the knife across bare flesh.

Warm, crimson blood flowed freely from the inch-long cut that was slowly lengthening. A strangled gasp escaped the teen's throat, "Fu-ckin' fag," He choked, refusing to show anymore weakness than he already shown, "Get your...hands off!" He grabbed the thin wrists of his attacker, trying to pry the hands off of him with much difficulty. Just when the knife was pulled from his neck, he felt the pressure of Seventeen's body on his lift.

The next thing he saw, when he sat up, holding the bleeding wound, was a completely uncoordinated Trunks trying to drag a resistant Seventeen into a nearby room. The pair stumbled and fell to the floor with a loud, painful thud, so that only two pairs of feet were shown outside of the door.

Apparently, in Goten's opinion, Trunks had no intention on checking up on _him_, so he made a run for it in case Seventeen got out of Trunks' clutches.

Meanwhile, in the room that Trunks dragged Seventeen to, which just so happened to be the small bathroom, both men quickly gathered themselves off of the marble floor.

Without caring that he was messing with fire, Trunks grabbed Seventeen's shirt front and pinned him against the wall. "What the _fuck _were you thinking?" He demanded, blowing his alcohol-laced breath into the other man's face, "You coulda killed him, you dumb shit!"

Seventeen glared angrily, all sophistication lost, "His bitch-ass fucking deserved it!" He snapped back, pushing the drunken teen off of him and started examining his reflection in the mirror nearby, He stretched his neck out to examine the red hand mark marring his otherwise flawless skin, "Fuck, that's gonna bruise..." he muttered, lightly touching the mark, "He better be fucking grateful that I'm on bartending duty tonight; this would be unacceptable if I were stripping." He ran water from the tap and began scrubbing the blood off of his face, and rinsing it out of his mouth.

"He won't fuck with you again," Trunks promised, snaking his arms around the older man's waist and pressing his lips against the mark, "And I didn't know you did other things besides strip."

Seventeen spat red-tinged water into the basin and spun to face Trunks, wrapping his arms around the teen's neck, "I can do any job out there; that's why I get paid so well," He said, smiling, "And do make sure your little boyfriend doesn't fuck with me; you don't want him to die, do you? 'Cause I'm not gonna hold back if there's a next time."

He pushed past the other, not waiting for the response, walking toward the exit, "Gotta finally get ready to leave now." He said, leaving the room.

Trunks followed after him, "Goten's not my boyfriend anymore," He called out, "And I was wondering if you would be..."

"I'll think about it," Seventeen responded, not looking back, and giving an airy wave.

Goten finally stopped his mad dash throughout the halls. He honestly felt a little ridiculous running so fast and so far, but the run was also quite relieving and refreshing. He had to appreciate the enormity of the castle, and all of its unused rooms. Despite his current mood, he made a mental note to scope out the place one day.

Yes, he was still pretty pissed. He never hated anyone so much. His pride was crushed, and he really wasn't much of a prideful person. Just the fact that Seventeen won only because he fought dirty set his teeth on edge and made his blood boil. He stopped himself before he made the decision to have another row with the guy.

_Calm down, Goten,_ He mentally told himself, _There's no sense in causing more drama. What's done is done, and there ain't nothing that can be done about it. Trunks made his choice, and I've made mine._

He exhaled in exasperation, feeling weary and strangely older, due to this moment of maturity. He leaned up against a huge wooden door that he had stopped in front of in order to take a breather. The door, however, swung open with the force of his weight, causing the teen to stumble backwards into the room it concealed.

"Jeez!" Goten complained, staring at the door as if it had said something offensive. He sighed again and chose to take a good look at his surroundings, being that he had never been in this particular part of the castle before.

He couldn't help but let his jaw drop slightly at the enormity of the room. It was obviously a room of great importance due to the elaborate decoration. However, there was also a look of severe neglect. Great, faded crimson tapestries covered portions of the massive stone walls from the high ceiling to the dusty floor; Situated beneath a wide tapestry decorated with the Saiyan crest was a stone dais. On top of the dais was the most ornately carved, high-backed throne he had ever seen. It looked as if there were battle scenes carved into the areas not covered by red velvet cushion.

Goten stepped toward the dais; his footsteps were muffled by the thick layer of dust coating the red carpet beneath him. He then examined the stone throne, running his fingers over the little carved warriors battling strange creatures, possibly from other worlds. His hands then smoothed over the worn, dusty velvet cushions, pressing here and there to test its softness.

Then, a most curious idea struck him. His dark brown eyes scanned the area for any intruders; the coast was clear. Without a second though he climbed onto the throne. It felt sort of awkward sitting imperially high above the floor, but he never felt cooler, or any closer to being like royalty. He placed his hands on the arms and looked around; he wondered if the previous owner of the castle actually sat in this chair, since obviously no one has used it in ages.

"Are we having fun?" Asked a voice that caused Goten's heart to leap into his throat. His eyes widened as the castle's owner swaggered into the room.

"Vegeta!" Goten squeaked, hopping off of the throne as if he were sitting on a small bed of hot coals, "I-I was just gonna go lookin' for you!" He tugged nervously at the bottom of his charcoal-gray shirt. Why did Vegeta have to be so damn quiet?

"What a coincidence," The prince said, stepping up the dais, "I was just looking for _you_."

Goten didn't know why he was feeling so intimidated by Vegeta's presence. The very demeanor of the man was condescending and intimidating on its own without hearing him actually speak. "What for?" He then asked, trying to keep his tone level.

"I felt couple of irregular ki coming from the lower east-wing, and I went to investigate the culprits. Of course, I wasted my time trying to ask my son, because he had taken to hiding in his room...so all that leaves is you, _Goten,"_ He said the teen's name with a slight tone of impudence, smiling when the faintest of blushes crossed the boy's face.

"So," He continued, climbing the final step so that he was face-to-face with the half-Saiyan, "Are you going to tell me why an antique piece of furniture has been reduced to rubble, and an ugly crack has run up my wall, or are we going to have to resort to other methods of interrogation?" A slightly mad glint shone in the prince's eye, similar to the one Seventeen had when he was trying to murder Goten. What in the world was with these people and their sick ways of behaving?

"I had a row with Seventeen," Goten sighed, deciding its best to be truthful to an accomplished Legilimens, "We shared some words, and I got pissed. I started the fight, but he pushed me to it." He pressed his lips together, looking away. He hated feeling like a tattle-tale.

"I don't blame you for getting upset," Vegeta replied truthfully, which genuinely shocked the younger male. It was so unlike Vegeta to be this candid with him, "The little bastard's been an issue for myself as well..." He let out a sigh, and Goten assumed it was best not to ask the prince to continue. He already knew Trunks' version of the story, anyhow, despite how fucked up it was.

He started to feel sorry for Vegeta. Trunks was a real ass toward him, especially now that he had been dogging after Seventeen. "I really wanted to hurt him," He said suddenly, almost automatically, "But I held back...and I got hit wit a couple of cheap-shots."

"I see," The prince said, noting the dried blood on Goten's neck and shirt, "Now you know to _not_ hold back. I keep telling you virtuous idiots over the years to pretty much go for the kill, but no one listens." He smirked at the shamed look on the younger boy's face. He then took a seat on the throne, looking powerful yet aloof. The look suited him well, making Goten feel dumb for ever sitting there in the first place.

"So why, may I ask, have you the desire to seek me out?" The Saiyan stared down his nose at Goten, making the teen feel rather small and insignificant.

Goten bit his lip, feeling rather awkward. He hated asking for favors, but he did need something from the prince. "Its the journal. I was wondering if you could finish translating it for me, since Trunks has kinda given up on it." He smiled awkwardly, but Vegeta's face remained unreadable.

He actually started to notice just how gracefully Vegeta had aged. His face had thinned out some, allowing his high cheekbones to add more definition to his face. Faint dark circles shadowed his eyes, and there was also a small hint of facial hair. The slightly older look suited the prince well.

"It seems that you have other things on your mind," Vegeta said suddenly, startling Goten out of his distracted trance.

"I'm sorry," The teen apologized, "I-I just...what're you doing?" He asked, feeling the prince's hand brush the fringe of his shaggy bangs out of his eyes. He felt the strangest sensation, causing a heavy blush to blotch his face. Something was definitely up with Vegeta.

"You really are much like your father, you know that?" The older Saiyan said quietly, letting his hand skim over the teen's neck and to his shoulder.

"I-I've been told that..." Goten whispered, turning his eyes downward. He felt the slight tug of Vegeta's hand, which was drawing him closer to where the prince sat.

They were close now, noses almost touching. "Such a shame he doesn't see that..." The prince continued softly. He never imagined himself in this type of situation. The last time he had ever been with anyone was the night he spent with his wife. Still, he was correct in saying how similar Goten was to Goku. Perhaps he didn't want to admit that he had grown so accustomed to a familiar person's company; that he didn't want to be without it. Had he really gotten that insecure?

The strangest thing was, Goten wasn't resisting.

Goten stayed rooted on the spot. He wanted to tear away, to just leave the castle and escape all the craziness he had been subjected to that day, but he just couldn't. Some other, irrational, and slightly inquiring part of him made him stay. The feeling of Vegeta's hot breath fanning over his face; the closeness...it was so wrong.

Barely a second later, both saiyans were locked in a furious kiss. As a seventeen-year-old, Goten's sexual appetite could not be satisfied. He couldn't look at a person without imagining them naked, and here he was, bold as brass, locking lips with one of the most dangerous man to ever consider kissing.

Shirts were stripped off, and jeans were awkwardly stepped out of. Soon Goten was straddled across Vegeta's lap. The young half-Saiyan's hands shook with nervousness, for he never once went this far with Trunks. Vegeta would be the first man he would ever have sex with.

Vegeta smirked against the heated flesh at the small whimper the younger man gave, and felt the uncomfortably hard length press urgently against his. He felt trembling hands press against his chest, gently trailing over his muscles in a weak attempt at being sensual.

_Just like Goku, _He thought in his mind, letting his fingers trail lightly over the impressive hard-on. He felt the teen quiver slightly at the erotic feeling. He knew that a Saiyan's body could handle much abuse and agony, so he wasn't worried about physical harm. He was concerned about the moment.

"Wait-" Goten whimpered, feeling the prince's hands grip under his thighs to raise him up. It had just hit him that they were about to have sex without any sort of lube; "Vegeta-what about-"

So lost in the moment, and his own fantasies, he ignored Goten's protests. He quickly positioned himself with one hand, while holding his grip on the leg. His eyes squeezed shut and gritted his teeth at the tight feeling of muscles surrounding his length. He drowned out Goten's pained cry with his mouth, for the sound echoed through the room.

With the aid of the older, far more experienced man, Goten began slowly rocking his hips. Pained groans escaped his lips as the discomfort slowly ebbed away; replaced by the erotic feeling of a hand wrapping itself around his uncomfortably hard member. The painful jab of guilt hit him through his chest at the though of enjoying such an intimate moment with his ex's father, but he couldn't possibly ask the prince to stop, not as far as they've gone.

Vegeta involuntarily slid a little further down the throne, tilting his head back at the amazing feelings of fucking for the first time in a while. He looked at the male on top of him; both of those strong arms were grasping either side of the back-rest of the throne as if it were his lifeline; his face was slightly above his, and bowed so that their foreheads were almost touching; his lips, the same shape as Goku's, were parted to allow breathy moans to escape.

The prince found the view quite erotic, and his eyes trained on that mouth, and all the things its look-alike has done to him flooded into his mind. His hand around the heavily-beading shaft it held began to pump faster while squeezing harder. He broke his gaze from the mouth and pressed his own against it, slipping his tongue inside.

The way Vegeta touched the young half-Saiyan with his hands and mouth; the way he wordlessly demonstrated how to fuck a man in such an awkward and space-limited position; and the way he could make him last confused the teen. He wasn't sexually attracted to Trunks, and he was quite sure that he preferred girls, so why was he tangled up with Vegeta on his dusty throne? He decided that now was definitely not the time to answer.

He heard Vegeta give a muffled moan against his mouth, and the man's body shuddered from what he hoped was an amazing climax. Just knowing that he _willingly _pleasured a person who couldn't be satisfied about anything at all was enough to give him that push to send him over the edge.

Breaking from the kiss, and giving a loud groan that echoed throughout the vast chamber, hot fluid shot from his tip and over the hand that held him. Both men, stayed in that awkward and painful (especially for Goten's knees) position for a few moments, relishing in the aftermath of their spontaneous tryst.

Minutes later, both males awkwardly gathered their things from the floor. Goten kept stealing glances at Vegeta, hoping for some sort of conversation, as he shook his shirt free of ancient dust. He winced at the feeling of his body jerking with the motion of his arms shaking his shirt. His first time wasn't completely unpleasant, but he definitely couldn't see the absolute thrill in it. Being screwed in a place that wasn't anatomically designed to have things inserted in hurt like hell!

He glanced at the prince once more, but still no response. Vegeta seemed to pointedly ignore his silent plea for attention.

"Please say something," The teen pleaded in exasperation, clutching his shirt in one hand, while trying to hold his baggy jeans up with the other (he hadn't put his belt on yet). He stopped and stared at Vegeta, waiting for some sort of response.

"You want me to translate that journal, right?" The prince said rather coldly, slipping his own shirt back on. He cut his black eyes at the younger male. When the teen nodded he continued, "I'll do it for you if I have your word that you will _never_ bring this up. Do not even come to me about anything but your ruddy journal." His eyes closed and he gave a frustrated sigh, "This was obviously a mistake."

"Mistake?" Goten said rather loudly, "What the hell do you mean by that? I don't understand..."

Vegeta's eyes flashed dangerously, and Goten backed down. "If you take a moment to _think-_you know what? Just go." He pointed toward the door, lips pressed into a thin line from anger.

The teen was confused, and desperately wanted to know what was so suddenly wrong. Did he-Vegeta-think he was a terrible lay? In the half-Saiyan's opinion, it wasn't bad, despite how sudden their coupling was. He felt bad, and wanted to reassure the prince.

"Please, Vegeta," He said softly, "It wasn't bad...don't be so upset."

Vegeta felt his blood start to boil with anger. What was it with Kakarrot and his brats and wanting to push topics that should otherwise be left alone? Why couldn't he just be left alone when he asks? This annoyed him to no end, and he fought the urge to lash out. Instead, he chose to give the teen a second warning.

"If you don't kindly get the fuck away from me, I'll make sure you do, even if it means you leaving with more than just a cut on your neck and a sore ass."

With an injured look, Goten left the room without another word, feeling that maybe he himself was at fault.

Vegeta watched the door shut behind the younger male, and a wave of anger crashed over him. In a blind rage, he blasted the throne with a powerful ki sphere. The action, however, did nothing to alleviate his stress, as a great plume of dust and bits of debris rose into the air, eventually reaching him. He dropped to the ground as he accidentally breathed in the putrid, tainted air, and coughed violently.

Eyes streaming from the harshness of the dusty air, and his throat searing from his coughing fit, he gathered himself up and got out of the hazardous environment as fast as he could. Once outside, he leaned against the stone wall, breathing deeply the fresh air. The throne room door had remained open, allowing dust to drift lazily outward with the flow of air. A chink of quickly fading, orange sunlight from a nearby window illuminated the cursed particles.

"Fuck," He rasped, spitting onto the ground. He pushed himself off of the wall and walked to the nearest bathroom. He turned the tap over the stone basin, gathered water from the icy jet and into his hands and brought the liquid to his lips.

With his throat soothed to a mere achy, dull burn, he felt his body lose its tension. Once more, he dropped to the floor, sliding on his back against the wall, so as to ease the force of his fall. It was then he got to assess the potentially incriminating situation that he had put himself and Goten in.

Though the laws of sixteen-year-olds and legal adults having sex was a gray area, with each location having a different opinion on whether it was illegal or not, this was still a horrible situation that the prince had put himself in. If this ever got out to anyone, he could lose his very livelihood as he knew it. Everything he had worked so hard to achieve would be for nothing.

Not only would he be thoroughly fucked, but so would Goten. It was horrible enough the boy had to go to therapy because of his parents, he didn't need another reason to see a shrink.

He couldn't believe that he had let himself go; that he let himself lose all sense of composure just for a few moments of missed bliss. He wasn't sure if he could face either Goten or Kakarrot after this. This very thought made him wonder what exactly was fucking wrong with him. Was he really this spiraled out of control with his own life that he had to perform in thoughtless and selfish acts with other people in order to feel secure with himself?

He sighed heavily and stared vacantly at the wall. The only thing he had keeping him from getting into serious trouble is the hope that Goten kept his trap shut, because he sure as hell wasn't going to speak.

-0-

Goten was in a right state. He knew that Trunks often complained of his father's moods flip-flopping, often joking if the man were bi-polar, but now that he had seen evidence of this accusation first-hand, he started to believe that maybe he did have a mood disorder of sorts.

He sighed heavily, running his hand absently over the walls as he walked aimlessly down the corridors with no particular destination in mind. Who was he to judge? He enjoyed the tryst as well, even after refusing Trunks left and right. Maybe there was something wrong with himself? Perhaps he saw something in Vegeta at that moment that sparked some untapped and hidden feelings of attraction?

Was it because, despite the prince's general attitude toward his family, he was far more dependable than his own flaky, childish father? He felt a pang of guilt hit him for comparing his own father, whom he did love, to his father's counterpart. However, he had to admit that it was his father's irresponsible attitude that driven him to feel this particular way.

That had to be it. Goten was attracted to and admired Vegeta's maturity. This revelation, however, brought him back to the subject of Trunks. Trunks was smart and good-looking, no doubt, but he was also pushy and childish, as he made a point of saying earlier when he arrived at the castle. Trunks' constant immaturity and irrational outbursts made it hard for him to enjoy his best friend's company as a boyfriend. It made it even harder to become attracted to him physically.

He felt a second jab of guilt. He was just as bad, sticking with Trunks for so long when he didn't feel anything for him other than friendship. He really didn't want to give up his friendship that had lasted his entire life over something that wasn't meant to be. Suddenly, he got the idea that maybe he could talk things out with Trunks. It had been a bit since their fight; hopefully he had sobered up and calmed down a bit.

Making up his mind, he set off for Trunks' ki signature. He eventually found his quarry lounging in the most used sitting room, absently flipping through channels on the large television. He swallowed his pride and humbly walked into the room, making sure he appeared genuinely regretful.

"Hey, Trunks..." He said solemnly once he approached the small sofa the older teen was stretched across.

Trunks jumped, "What the hell! Don't scare me like that!" He fussed, craning his head to look at the intruder. "I really hope you've come to apologize for what you did," He said, frowning and sitting up straight.

Goten felt a slight twinge of annoyance at the remark, but decided to ignore it. It wasn't worth another fight. "I have," He said, "I shouldn't have attacked him like that, and I'm really sorry."

The older male nodded, "It's alright," He said. His eyes spotted the dried blood on the younger's neck, "That's what he did to you?"

A hand covered his wound, "Y-yeah," Goten said, "I ain't cleaned it yet...got distracted. But that's not important." He breathed in then exhaled a bit loudly, "Can I sit down?"

Trunks, considerably less drunk, realized that Goten wasn't here just to apologize for the fight. He had never seen his best friend so serious and troubled. He nodded and gestured for him to sit.

"Trunks...I played you," Goten began, tugging the bottom of his shirt, "I made you think that I had feelings for you, when I didn't. I never did. You're my best friend, and I wanted to make you happy, so I went along with it. I hoped that maybe I might be attracted to you, but it never happened. I kept lying to you and saying that I loved you...when I didn't." He stopped and looked over at Trunks, who stared at a spot on the floor between his knees, but listened all the same. Goten couldn't read his expression, and took his silence as cue to continue.

"I knew it was wrong. I'm really, really sorry I did that to you. It was just so awkward 'cause we grew up together. I'm not the one for you, and that I am very sure of. I just hope that we can still be friends. I really care for you, just not in that way." He glanced again, still no reaction, "I shouldn't have taken it as far as I did."

Trunks finally looked at Goten. He looked as if he were trying to remain composed, though his eyes did look a bit glassy. "You aren't the only one who's sorry," He said, not looking away, "I was wrong to put you in a situation that made you uncomfortable. I should've known from the get-go that you wouldn't want to, and I shouldn't have gotten so dramatic. I'm fucked in the head, Goten, and I don't need a shrink or anyone to tell me that...no offence. I guess I just latched on to the only person who seemed to give a god damn, and I took it too far. You aren't bad for me, Goten," He sniffed and tried to blink back stubborn tears, "I'm bad for you." He sniffed again and wiped away a stray tear with the tips of his fingers.

"I guess that's why I'm so attracted to Seventeen," He continued, noticing the dark look that had fallen over Goten's face at the mention of the name, "Because he's just as fucked in the head as I am. We're bad for each other...and I like it. I'm sorry that I cheated on you with him."

"Its fine," The younger half-Saiyan said quietly, "As long as we are cool with each other, and can still be friends."

"Yeah," Trunks responded thickly, "I still wanna be friends with you."

Goten genuinely smiled for the first time in what he thought was a long time. He knew that it would take a while for him and Trunks to work things out; there are some things that magic and power cannot fix. He knew that a simple apology wasn't enough to get them back to where they used to be; and now that Trunks is with Seventeen, he'd have to learn to accept that, as much as he didn't want to. Still, he was glad that they agreed to be friends.

He leaned over and embraced his friend, who gladly returned the gesture. There was no groping, or filthy words. It was purely platonic.


End file.
